


Trapped

by FrozenFiasco



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2019-06-30 09:09:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 175,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15748635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenFiasco/pseuds/FrozenFiasco
Summary: When Axel, Demyx and Roxas stumble upon a boy (Sora) in a horrifying situation, they save him and bring him to Leon and Cloud's care.  Who is this kid, what happened to him, and more importantly, is the person who they stole Sora from coming back to take what's theirs?





	1. What The Hell Is That Noise?

Chapter 1: What The Hell Was That Noise?

_Before I start this, I have my disclaimer: I do not own the rights nor the characters to Kingdom Hearts. If I did, Kairi would be dead by now._   


(Roxas P.O.V)

_Ten more minutes...just ten more minutes..._ Roxas was blissfully thinking as he sat in his assigned seat. Mr. Luxhorn was doing nothing to entertain him about their upcoming assignment of the Victorian era and he couldn’t help but stare at the clock. Why did time in Honey High have to tick by so slowly? Roxas sat in the back so he checked his phone once more, and was not surprised to find a sext from his annoyingly hot boyfriend, Axel, asking if he was getting a blowjob later for picking him up. Roxas sighed and shook his head without replying to the email. He and Axel had been going out for a year and a half now, and for some reason Axel still couldn’t figure out that Roxas was not a fan of sexting. He didn’t see the point in it. Why text about something sexual when you can just meet the person and do it? Roxas looked back up at the clock. Eight more minutes.

“You alive over there, pointy top?” came a light-hearted voice along with a hand waving in Roxas’s face, distracting him from the clock. Roxas turned and rolled his eyes at the culprit. His blond- haired friend Demyx. Demyx and Roxas had known each other longer than Roxas had known Axel, but Demyx was the reason the two met in the first place. Demyx was a blessing to have as a friend but also an annoying pain in the ass if you wanted to get any work done. Demyx was all about having fun, with the exception of alcohol because for some reason Demyx couldn’t have any, but that didn’t stop him in the slightest. He and Axel were always up for some shit they had no business doing, and poor Roxas was always dragged into doing it, whether he wanted to or not. But he liked that about Demyx and Axel. After all, he had managed to conquer his fear of heights thanks to Demyx throwing him off a waterslide cliff when they went camping. He got over his fear even if he never forgave Demyx for doing it in the first place. 

“I’ll be alive when this damn class is over. I want to go home,” Roxas yawned. Demyx chuckled.

“By home, you mean going to Axel’s house,” Demyx corrected.

“No, by home, I meant my actual house,” Roxas smiled.

“Oh, so you do reside somewhere other than Axel’s bed,” Demyx laughed.

“Fuck off,” Roxas said, playfully punching him in the arm. The bell suddenly went off and Roxas sighed in absolute relief. 

“See? Talking to friends made the time go faster,” Demyx said as the two grabbed their stuff to head out.

“Like we aren’t about to walk in the same direction to our lockers,” Roxas scoffed, throwing his bag over his shoulder. They both walked out the classroom and waded into the chaos of a high school hallway to go find their lockers. Roxas liked that their lockers were located closer to the front of the school. They could get out quicker, and there was no rush in the morning to go find them. By the time they got there, the red-headed pyro known as Axel was already leaning against the lockers, having already went to his.

“How did you beat us here?” Demyx asked.

“He skipped class” Roxas said, then turned to Axel, “Didn’t you?”

“You can’t expect me to sit in biology class and actually do work, Roxy. It’s not in me,” Axel said.

“Neither is a brain,” Roxas retorted. 

“Hey, I don’t hear any complaints when you’re underneath me, begging for mercy-”

Axel grimaced in pain as Roxas hit him in the side with his textbook before shoving it in his locker. He kept reminding himself that he loved this guy, but Axel did not have to keep putting their sex life out in the open. It’s bad enough Roxas’s mom still thinks he and Axel are just really good friends when his dad knows for a fact that they’ve already fucked. Demyx had bet money that his mom would never find out until their wedding day, if then. 

“This is why I don’t greet you with a blowjob,” Roxas smiled bitterly as his boyfriend, letting him know he saw the sext from earlier.

“Whatever, whatever, let’s go. I’ve been here ten minutes longer than necessary,” Axel said, walking out the door ahead of Roxas and Demyx. 

As they left school grounds and came around the corner towards Axel’s car, they noticed two familiar figures a few cars away from Axels. It was two of their friends, Ventus and Vanitas. Ventus kind of always creeped Roxas out a little bit, for the sole fact that the two of them look like fucking twins and they’re nowhere related. Roxas could’ve even sworn that one time when Axel was talking about a memory Roxas couldn’t remember was indeed because it happened with Ventus and not himself. But even though they looked alike, there was nothing they had in common except that. Roxas was more outgoing than Ventus was, and not in terms of just partying. It‘s just that Roxas was more open and willing to do stupid shit just for the fun of it, while Ventus seemed more conservative on his part and he didn’t feel the need to participate in half the stuff the group decided to do, especially if it was technically illegal. Best example is Ventus wouldn’t drink for the sole fact of where they were underaged for alcohol. He was, without a doubt, the most quiet in the group, only ever talking that much to Vanitas.

Now, Vanitas was on his own level entirely. He had a bad temper when he got angry, and he didn’t seem to care much about the consequences of his actions. He would suggest an idea, Axel would exaggerate it, Demyx would call it, and then boom everyone would have to do it. Vanitas was “the bad boy” so to speak, even though he’s only been arrested once, and it wasn’t even his fault. But his quick wit and banter could rival Roxas’s, and to this day, Roxas still wasn’t sure why Vanitas hung out with Ventus more than them, when they suited his attitude more. The only thing Vanitas wouldn‘t do is set anything on fire for personal reasons. 

“Yo salt and pepper!” Axel hollered across the way. Ventus, who was turned away from their direction, looked back behind him and Vanitas made a face at Axel for being addressed as such. Roxas thought the comment was quite true though. 

“What do you want?” was all Vanitas replied with as Ventus gave a smile and a wave. 

“We all about to go driving out in the outer skirts for a while, you in?” Axel asked. Roxas looked at his boyfriend in surprise.

“When the hell did we decide on that?!” Roxas asked.

“Demyx and I were talking about it last night and decided since it’s Friday, why not?” Axel shrugged it off like it was nothing.

“Demyx!” Roxas exclaimed, turning to his supposed friend.

“Oh..I may have forgot to mention that earlier,” Demyx said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Jesus Christ, why do you two always make these plans and expect me to follow along? I have other things to do in case you keep forgetting,” Roxas complained. 

“Aside from doing homework, taking those dumb ass piano lessons, and screwing me, you have absolutely nothing else to do,” Axel said, slinging his arm across his boyfriend’s shoulder. Roxas would’ve punched him in the throat if it wasn’t quite accurate. 

“A notice would be nice,” Roxas said.

“You just got it, you’re welcome,” Axel grinned, kissing him on the forehead before turning back to Vanitas and Ventus, “So you two coming or what? Actually, Vanitas, are you coming because I know Ventus here ain’t going nowhere past his curfew.”

“I don’t have a curfew, you moron,” Ventus spoke. Roxas rolled his eyes. For the one person in the group whose parents were constantly away and left to their son to his own devices, Ventus always acted like he had a bedtime to get back to. Another reason why Roxas couldn’t figure out why Vanitas hung out with him. 

“Vanitas, you coming?” Axel asked again, completely ignoring Ventus.

“Nope. Don’t feel like it. I got sleep on my schedule for the next fourteen hours so I’m out,” Vanitas said, tossing a piece of lint from his shirt to the ground before going around to the driver’s side of his car. Ventus saluted them before opening the passenger door and getting in. Vanitas pulled out and drove away without so much as a proper goodbye. 

“Those two have to be fucking, I swear,” Axel said.

“Nope. Ventus won‘t drink alcohol, what makes you think he’d have sex before marriage?” Demyx laughed. Roxas and Axel joined in laughing at the joke as they made their way to Axel’s car. When they got in, Roxas groaned.

“Are we seriously going for a drive in the out skirts? There’s nothing out there, Axel,” Roxas complained.

“Except all the rich people who want nothing to do with the city. Don’t see why though when they all work here. Completely pointless,“ Axel said.

“Axel, you better not-”

“Relax, Roxas, we aren’t going on a robbery,” Demyx cut in, catching where Roxas was heading.

“Then what, pray tell, are we doing?” Roxas asked, clearly suspicious.

“Just pulling a little prank. This jackass in the bookstore yesterday decided that it was completely okay to try and sexually harass Zexion. Zexion wasn’t bothered by it, but I was and we got Bathier to find out where he lives. We’re just gonna spray paint some nice little messages all over his house is all,” Demyx explained, although Roxas could tell he was fuming. Zexion was Demyx’s quiet little blue-haired boyfriend who also went to Honey High. Zexion was a complete bookworm, so Roxas still isn’t sure how the two ended up dating. He thought Zexion and Ventus made more sense. But Demyx was extremely protective of Zexion because Zexion was small, so anybody messing with him was going to pay severely. If Demyx had Axel’s personality, he would probably set them on fire. 

“Why do you guys always have to pick the illegal stuff?” Roxas groaned.

“Hey, this was our last idea. The first one was to beat the shit out of him with a crowbar, but Demyx said he didn’t want to be arrested for murder,” Axel laughed.

“Like this is any better?” Roxas scoffed, “I’m not getting out the car for this one.”

“That’s okay, just keep the engine running,” Axel nodded. Roxas really couldn‘t believe his boyfriend sometimes.  

They spent the hour it took to get to the outer skirts listening to music and Axel explaining to Roxas why he should Axel a blowjob in the car, which Roxas has refused again and again to do. They could tell when they were reaching the outer skirts, as the houses became independent of each others’ walls and the houses got more far apart and bigger. Some houses even had two garages and a double decker in the front of them. When they pulled over, they stopped in front a house with one of those double deckers attached to it, and the house was a dark brown and red with only a fence separating the backyard from the front. 

“Alright, last stop,” Axel joked as he and Demyx got out the car. Roxas, at the last second, got out as well.

“You joining now?” Axel asked as he fished in his trunk for the spray paint bottles. 

“You do know this house probably has cameras, right?” Roxas said.

“Yeah, you would think so. But I had Bathier scour the place. Not a single camera in sight. Sucks to be him,” Axel laughed. Demyx and Axel grabbed all the spray bottles and waited for Roxas to climb over and open the gate from the backyard. As Roxas stood aside to let them through, he could’ve sworn he heard something from a short distance but passed it off as a stray cat. They walked around to the back of the house and Axel was smiling from ear to ear to find that the backyard door was made of glass. 

“Oh, this is going to be fun,” Axel practically giggled and Roxas regretted not staying in the car. Demyx and Axel began setting up the spray cans around the sides of the house to set them for when they were going to use them. Roxas took out his phone and made a mental note to never get in his boyfriend’s car without a known destination when he heard something again. He looked up from his phone and looked around. It was faint, but he could hear it. Was it an animal? He heard it again...it sounded like...groaning? 

“Axel,” Roxas said.

“In a minute babe,” Axel called back. Roxas looked around, trying to pinpoint the sound. The closest thing to them was the house “not exactly” next door, but close enough to be considered a neighbor. Could it be coming from there? Then he heard something that sounded like a swish and that noise again but it was louder. Roxas’s eyes widened, that was definitely a groan. 

“Axel! Demyx!” Roxas called urgently.

“What?” Demyx asked, not looking at him, too busy on the spray painting. He didn’t get halfway through the first word when suddenly they all heard a loud pop and what was most definitely, without a doubt, a scream. Axel and Demyx stopped their assault and looked in the direction Roxas was looking.

“Tell me you guys heard that too?” Roxas asked. Axel and Demyx set down the spray can bottles, on full alert now. All three of them crept near the end of the fence, attempting to peek over the fence. 

“Was that a scream?” Demyx asked as they tried to find the source of the noise.

“Yeah...and it sounded painful too,” Roxas replied. Another pop and another scream echoed toward their ears and all three looked up.

“It‘s coming from that window,” Roxas said, pointing to the third window in at the top of the house, presuming the second floor. 

“What the fuck is going on in there?” Axel asked. They waited for another ten minutes, not bothering to move until they heard the front door of the house open. They all ducked, and waited until they heard the engine of a car running. They heard the car sped off and only then did they stand back up to their regular heights. 

“None of our business, that’s what,” Roxas decided. He got away from the fence but turned back when he noticed the others weren’t following. 

“Axel, what are you doing?!” Roxas exclaimed as he saw Axel climbing over the gate, Demyx following suit.

“I’m going to see what that was,” Axel said like it was the most obvious thing he was doing.

“Axel, are you crazy?! Okay, don’t answer that! Axel, we aren’t even supposed to be here, let alone onto another house!” Roxas complained.

“Roxas, normally I’d agree with you but it sounded like someone’s in pain. We should check it out,” Demyx said. Roxas ran over and Axel helped him climb over the fence.

“And do what?!” Roxas asked. He could not believe what he was hearing right now.

“Call the police maybe? What if somebody was just murdered?” Demyx asked.

“Slow down, Dem, we can’t call the police. We would be arrested too for trespassing. Let’s just scope it out for a minute and then call it quits,” Axel suggested. Demyx nodded and Axel turned to Roxas.

“Babe, you can go in the car if you really don’t want to do this,” Axel said. Roxas shook his head. He was already getting in trouble if they were caught, might as well go the whole way. The three of them made their way to the back door, which was also made of glass, and Axel, whose dad was a locksmith, was easily able to open the door using a bobby pin and a pocket knife. They went inside the house and Roxas closed the door and relocked it. The house looked extremely clean. All the furniture in the room they were in was made of leather and the floor was a blood red carpet. The walls had portraits made from famous painters hanging around the room. A home computer with a keyboard sat on top of an office desk, with a swinging chair. 

“Come on, the noise came from upstairs,” Axel said, ignoring the décor of the place. Demyx and Roxas followed him up the marble staircase Axel found around the corner. They stopped halfway up when they heard groaning.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Roxas said. They continued up the stairs slowly, the groaning going in and out. The noise led them past four rooms that were all locked. When they got outside the door where the noise was coming from. That door was also locked. Before deciding to unlock it, Axel merely knocked.

“Hello? Is everything okay in there?” Axel called. It was quiet for a few moments, the groaning even got quieter, but it was still very much there.

“Hello?” Axel tried again. When he didn’t receive an actual answer, he used the bobby pin and his pocket knife again. When he opened the door, he, Roxas and Demyx stood frozen in place.

“Oh my God.” 

_And there’s chapter one for all you lovelies. You the drill, R and R if you want more chapters. This is my test run first story, so if you like this one, I will not only continue it, but I will post some more stories once their first chapters are done. I just want them all out of my head lol. Anyways, until next time! Poof!_


	2. Who Is This?

Chapter 2: Who Is This?

_Hello!_ _I have my disclaimer here: I do not own the rights and characters of Kingdom Hearts. This fic is written purely for fun. On to the story!_

(Axel’s P.O.V)

_“_ Oh my God”

The three of them stood frozen at the door, not really sure what they were looking at. It was obviously a person, it was just the condition upon which they were looking at. There was a boy laying in the bed, and he was sickly pale. He had a mop of messy brown spiky hair that was sweated out and sticking to his forehead in the front. He appeared to be sweaty, if the glistening on his almost naked body was any indication. He was only wearing a pair of boxers, but what had freaked them out was the fact that his arms were tied above his head to the head post, and judging by the indent of on his wrists, they had been tied up there for quite some time. His sweaty body was covered in black and blue marks on his body from obvious beatings, and there also appeared to be slashes in the skin from cuts or scratches. The boy was tossing and turning as much as he could while restraining, but he appeared to be sleeping. And it was very clear that it was him making the moaning sounds for he was still doing it. 

Axel couldn’t stand looking at him. That boy had to have been no older than Roxas. 

Out of pure instinct, Axel walked over and immediately removed the bindings on his wrists. He shook the kid's shoulders, trying to wake him.

“Hey! Hey, can you hear me?” Axel asked. The boy’s head only lolled to the side.

“He’s breathing so he’s still alive, but he looks bad,” Axel said. He got behind him and tried to move the boy to a sitting position and the boy groaned so painfully that Axel froze midway. His body temperature was incredibly high and Axel felt like he was in a furnace. What the hell was going on? He shook him again.

“Hey kid! Are you there? Hey!” Axel tried again. For a moment, he saw the boy’s eyelids move accordingly, and they half opened to look at Axel. The boy’s eyes were cloudy, almost fuzzy, but Axel could see a color of blue behind the fog. Even though he was looking at him, Axel had a bad feeling that he still wasn’t actually awake. 

“Hey, are you okay?” Axel asked. Almost as quickly as they half opened, the boy’s eyes had rolled back into his head and he passed out again, if he was ever awake to begin with. 

“He needs medical assistance. We’ve got to get him out of here,” Axel said.

“Agreed,” was all Demyx said.

“He needs to get dressed. He’s hot as hell though,” Axel commented. Demyx began to look through the drawers, to perhaps find some clothes, but closed the first one upon only opening it seconds ago.

“Whoa,” Demyx said, and not in a good way.

“What’s wrong?” Roxas asked, finally moving away from the door. Axel could tell from Roxas’s face that he thought the same thing about the kid being approximately his age. He watched as Roxas walked over to Demyx and pulled open the drawer. Then Roxas’s mouth fell open. 

“Axel, you need to see this,” Roxas said barely above a mumble. Axel carefully laid the sweaty boy back down and got up and over to what Roxas and Demyx were staring at. He was absolutely speechless at what he found. 

Inside the drawer was so many sex toys. There were six types of different sized dildos inside, all with different “decorations” on them. Axel looked back to the boy and he could only imagine how small he was. Almost all of these would for sure rip Roxas, that he was sure of. Axel closed the first drawer and opened the second one. There were two sets of cock rings and nipples clamps inside it with about six bottles of lube taking up the rest of the space. The third drawer contained different decorations of handcuffs and ankle cuffs and collars. The fourth drawer,which was the biggest and the one that scared Axel the most, was filled to the brim with leather whips, a cane, a paddle, chains and belts made of leather. One belt had studded diamonds on there and Axel had a bad feeling that those diamonds were real. 

“This would put Bathier’s kink to shame,” Demyx said although nobody laughed. Axel slammed the door shut in anger. 

“We’re getting him out of here,” was all he said as he walked back to the bed. 

“Axel, no, wait!” Roxas said, “Spray painting was one thing but this is kidnapping, Axel!”

“I would rather be arrested for kidnapping someone who’s in trouble rather than leaving this house knowing what’s in those drawers and letting my imagination run wild,” Axel said in a quick huff as he put himself back behind the boy. He had to fight himself to ignore the painful groan the boy let out as Axel sat him up again. Roxas, not knowing what else to do, took off his jacket and handed it to Axel who wrapped it around the boy’s naked torso. In one huff, he lifted the boy from bed bridal style and Demyx held the door open wider so he could carry him out. Roxas relocked the door behind them and they quickly left out the way they came and into Axel’s car. Axel put the boy down in the back seat and Demyx used his bookbag as a pillow for the boy. Axel hopped into the driver’s seat and then only realized that Roxas wasn’t there.

“What the hell, where’s Roxas?!” Axel yelled. He beeped the horn, “Roxas!”

Suddenly Roxas came bounding the backyard of the neighbor they originally came for, his hands full of the spray paint cans they had forgotten about.

“I knew I dated you for a reason,” Axel couldn’t help but smile at his boyfriend.

“Just shut up and drive,” was all Roxas said. As they drove, Roxas kept glancing in the back seat, looking at the mysterious boy in the backseat. 

“Axel, you weren’t joking about his temperature. I’m not even touching him and I can feel his body heat,” Demyx said. 

“What are we going to do? We can’t take him to the police,” Roxas said. 

“I’m not too sure on that. I just wanted him out that house,” Axel said as he drove over the speed limit. Axel didn’t really know what compelled to him to just kidnap this boy, but he had to. That space looked deadly. 

“All those toys...there was so much,” Demyx commented. 

“Is it possible to use that many things on one person? Is that even safe?” Roxas asked. 

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Axel said. 

“The dildos I can understand, but even I would never use even a third of those toys on Zexion. Only person I know who would have a cock ring is Cloud and Leon,” Demyx snickered at the last part. 

“TMI Demyx, TMI” Roxas said, then his eyes lit up, “Wait a minute! Leon and Cloud! That’s it!”

“Put their address into my GPS,” Axel said. He was smiling as well. Leon and Cloud were the perfect people to go to if you didn’t want to go to the park. Years ago, the married couple used to run a foundation that helped gets kids off the street and into school and into better families. While they are no longer a part of the foundation, Axel was sure that they would still be able to help. They had to, this kid looked like he was practically dying, and he probably was. Leon and Cloud were their only hope right now. 

It should’ve taken them an hour and a half to get there but with Axel’s emergency attitude steering the wheel, they got there in under an hour. Roxas hopped out of the car and ran to ring the doorbell as Axel went around back to help Demyx get the boy out the car. He hadn’t stopped sweating and he had been moaning and groaning the entire way over. He struggled in Axel’s arm and Axel wasn’t sure if it was just because he was hot and bothered or if he was in pain somehow. 

“Cloud! Cloud! Leon!” Roxas shouted, banging on the door. Suddenly, the door swung open and sleepy looking blonde-haired man with blue eyes was at the door, his hair rustled and a robe tied half hazard around him. His face was flushed and he was panting slightly. Coming behind him was a long brown-haired man with dark eyes, also a badly wrapped robe around him. Leon. Roxas didn’t know if they had just woken them up or just stopped them from having sex.

(Third Person Multiple P.O.V) 

“What the hell is the emergency, Roxas?!” Cloud spat out, though he didn’t sound angry, he sounded concerned. Before Roxas could answer, Axel came barreling in with what looked to be a human being in his arms, Demyx following him after.

“What is going on?” Cloud asked as he shut his door.

“We need your help. Well, he needs your help,” Axel said in a rush of breath. Cloud looked down at what Axel was carrying. It was a human being, but he noticed almost immediately that the boy was not in an okay condition. 

“Axel, put him down on the couch,” Cloud instructed. As Axel walked past him, Cloud looked over to his husband Leon, and Leon nodded. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Leon asked as Cloud knelt down beside the couch to inspect the boy. His groan of pain did not go unnoticed by neither Cloud nor Leon. Cloud studied his features and he wasn’t sure what was worse, the boy’s pale complexion, his heavy breathing and groaning, or his profuse sweating Cloud looked down and furrowed his brow in confusion.

“Where are his pants?” Cloud asked, turning to the three of them.

“Look, he didn’t have any clothes on except those boxers when we found him,” Axel explained.

“You mean when we kidnapped him,” Roxas corrected as Leon unzipped Roxas’s jacket from the boy.

“You did what?” Cloud exclaimed.

“Oh my God, Cloud, look,” Leon said. Cloud turned back to the boy’s torso and he grimaced when he noticed the condition his skin was in. Some of those bruises looked way too recent. On his neck there were prints of what looked like hands. Was he choked?

 Before Cloud could inspect them, the boy suddenly let out a harsh gasp and a cough so hard that Leon and Cloud backed away for a moment. He stirred painfully. His eyes opened only halfway again and Cloud quickly noticed the state of his eyes before they closed again. This wasn’t good at all. 

“Demyx, give me that flashlight,” Cloud said. Demyx did as instructed and gave him the tiny flashlight sitting on the table. Cloud forcibly opened one of the boy’s eyes and looked at it more closely.

“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Leon asked, having seen the boy’s eyes as well when they opened. Cloud only nodded.

“How sick is he?” Axel asked.

“He’s not sick, he’s drugged,” Cloud stated. He stood up and walked into the kitchen, not out of ear shot of the living room. 

“Drugged?” Demyx asked.

“You can’t tell? His eyes are hazy, he’s sweating, and he looks incredibly uncomfortable and he’s fidgeting. He’s highly drugged” Leon said, finally getting Roxas’s jacket off of him, “You might’ve made it worse with this jacket.” 

Roxas practically snatched the jacket away and threw it on the floor after that. The boy on the couch started breathing more heavily and he began itching himself. 

“Cloud, where are you?” Leon called.

“I’m right here, I’m right here,” Cloud said, coming back into the living room. In his hands, he had a basin that was filled with ice water, two small rags, a glass of water, and what looked to be a pill bottle. Cloud soaked the first rag in the water, wrung it out, and placed it on top of the boy’s sticky forehead, moving his hair out of the way.

“Don’t he kind of look like Vanitas?” Demyx asked.

“No. Vanitas don’t look like he’s dying,” Axel rolled his eyes in annoyance. Leon soaked the other rag and carefully patted down the boy’s chest and stomach, trying to cool him off. 

“What’s the bottle for?” Roxas asked as Cloud sat the oy up quicker than Axel ever did, choosing to ignore his garbled moan of pain. 

“It’s ipecac, he’ll throw up whatever drugs he swallowed if we’re not too late,” Leon explained as he opened the bottle and took out a pill. He had to force the boy’s mouth open to put the pill in there. When the boy didn’t seem to be trying to swallow it, Leon poured the glass of water into his mouth, and the boy coughed as his body kicked into survival mode and he was forced to swallow it. Cloud laid him back down and when Leon went to his legs to inspect any more damage.

“Now what the hell is this about kidnapping?” Cloud asked, turning back to the three boys standing in his living room.

“We didn’t necessarily kidnap him,” Demyx shrugged.

“Look, we were pulling on a prank on some dude’s house, we heard a noise next door, we followed the noise and we found him tied to a bed. End story,” Axel said, slightly annoyed. Their kidnapping him was not the problem right now. 

“Axel, you can’t go breaking and entering into people’s houses!” Cloud exclaimed.

“So? Look at him! He clearly needed someone to do it!” Axel pointed back. Cloud sighed and dropped his shoulders.

“I suppose that’s fair, but you need to be lucky you weren’t caught. You’ve could’ve been shot,” Cloud decided. Then suddenly, they all jumped when they heard a scream. They all turned to the couch and found Leon holding one of the boy’s leg up.

“Why did he-”

“I was inspecting his body for anymore bruises and he just screamed,” Leon explained quickly. They could tell from Leon’s face that the scream also shocked him as well. 

“Why did he scream?” Cloud wondered. He walked back over to Leon and looked under where Leon had lifted the boy’s leg. There were definite bruises on the underside, but that shouldn’t have made him scream. Cloud could tell his leg wasn’t broken, there was no swelling, so what made him scream? 

Then Leon looked at Cloud and the look on his face gave Cloud a chill down his spine. It couldn’t be. 

“Lift his other leg,” Leon said. Cloud did it, not exactly slowly, and even though the boy didn’t scream this time, he still let out a pained moan that he choked on. Axel looked at the boy’s face and noticed that through the sweat, there were tears.

“Will you guys stop, you’re hurting him,” Axel warned. 

“It’s not us, but I have a bad feeling about what it actually is,” Leon said. 

“Boys, turn around,” Cloud commanded.

“Excuse me?” Axel asked.

“Turn around,” Cloud repeated.

“Why?” Roxas asked.

“Because...we have to check something...but you need to turn around,” Cloud said.

“What exactly are you trying to do that we need to turn around for?” Demyx asked.

“ Will you just-”

“Cloud, forget it, they’re being stubborn as usual,” Leon said. Cloud sighed.

“Fine. But don’t say a word,” Cloud warned them before turning back to the boy. Cloud held the boy’s legs in position as Leon grabbed the sides of the boy’s boxers, and gently, he pulled them down. 

“What are you-”

“Hush, Axel,” Cloud said sharply. Leon kept pulling at a slow pace. The boxers were sticking to his skin, making the process just a little bit more difficult but Leon managed to get them off all the way. Cloud picked them up and threw them to the side, not caring where they landed. He lifted the boy’s legs a little higher and Leon looked under and Cloud watched as his shoulders sank. So it was what they thought. 

“I’m afraid to remove it, it might hurt him more,” Leon said.

“It’s going to hurt, but at least he’ll be relieved of it afterwards,” Cloud said.

“Are you guys trying to say that the reason he’s been twitching and moving like that is because there’s a dildo up his ass?” Axel asked flat out. 

“Yes, if you must put it so bluntly,” Cloud shook his head.  

“This is gonna hurt,” Leon said. He grabbed onto the slightly pink base that was sticking out slighty, and he pulled gently. 

Almost immediately, the boy let out a dangerous yelp of pain and his legs bucked on their own accord, almost hitting Cloud in the face before Cloud could regain control of them. 

“Sorry kid,” Leon said softly. He pulled again, harder this time, trying to figure out why the dildo wouldn’t just slip out with the amount of sweat he was producing. Leon kept pulling despite the heart wrenching cries and whines that the boy was making, Cloud struggling to keep his legs steady. Demyx came over and took one of his legs from Cloud’s hand to help. Suddenly, Leon felt the dildo stop completely, and he was already worried at the size of this thing because of how thick the girth was that he had already pulled out. He tugged harder, and nearly jumped when the boy moved with the dildo.

“Jesus christ, how did they fit this inside him?” Leon asked, worried to death. He pushed the boy’s thigh closer to his stomach, and in one strong pull, he managed to get the dildo out with a very audible pop. The boy had screamed rather harshly, but as soon as it was out he fell back against the couch, panting and sweating, but he didn’t look to be in pain anymore, which Cloud was grateful for. Leon was in shock, staring at the dildo. At the very tip, it looked like the size of a fist.

“How the fuck did that get inside him?” Axel asked in horrific amazement as they all stared at the huge phallus. 

“We’re not going to worry about that,” Leon said, standing up and going into the kitchen to throw the monster away. The boy looked so much calmer now. Cloud soaked the rag in the ice water again and placed it on his forehead again.

“Okay, everyone in the kitchen now,” Cloud said. Everyone followed suit, letting the boy finally rest peacefully in his sleep. 

“I want to know what happened. Everything,” Leon said as soon as everyone sat down. And so Demyx, Axel and Roxas went into the full detailed version of the story. The spray cans, the prank, the break in, the screaming, the car driving away, and them finding the boy. When they finished, Leon and Cloud looked at each other.

“Why did you guys bring him over here?” Leon asked.

“Because you guys used to run that foundation,” Roxas said.

“Boys, we know that but that was for kids who had run away or lost their way. It wasn’t for cases like...this,” Cloud tried to explain.

“But you guys are the only ones who can help. We can’t go to the police or we’ll all get arrested. And we can’t take him back, you saw him! He’s in trouble!” Roxas exclaimed.

“There are people who can help him,” Leon said.

“People who we don’t know and people who we don’t trust. What if they take him back to that house? It’ll be a lost cause. C’mon, Cloud and Leon, please?” Demyx asked. Leon and Cloud looked at each other in indecisiveness.

“Go into the living room while we discuss this,” Cloud ordered. The three of them got up and walked out. 

“Tell us if he wakes up,” Leon called before they disappeared. He sighed and looked at his husband. 

“We can’t,” Leon said.

“But you heard them, Leon, the boy’s clearly in trouble. You saw the size of that...monstrosity,” Cloud said.

“Cloud, we aren’t a part of that foundation anymore,” Leon countered.

“That doesn’t mean we stop helping other people. I know this is not what were used to, but the kids are right. We can’t send him to people who are more than likely to take him back to where he came from,” Cloud said.

“Cloud-”

“Leon, for once I’m on the kids’ side. He can’t go back out there. At least not in this condition,” Cloud said, and Leon could see where he was going.

“We take care of him until he’s well enough to figure it out on his own,” Leon finished for Cloud. Cloud nodded.

“We’re gonna have to be careful about this though. We haven’t dealt with this kind of case,” Leon warned.

“We’ll be fine,” Cloud said. He gave Leon a reassuring kiss on the mouth and Leon couldn’t help but smile. He knew Cloud was a sucker for helping people but he didn’t think Cloud would so willingly take on a case like this. Suddenly they heard the sound of something splashing on the ground and Demyx gag, and they knew that the boy had finally thrown up. They got up and went into the living room. 

The boy was hunched over the couch, breathing in deeply, still staring at his own puke that had landed in the extra basin Cloud had brought in for that very specific reason. Leon noticed that there was blanket over him, most likely done by Roxas who couldn’t spend another minute staring at his naked bruised form. Judging by how the boy was supporting himself, there was no doubt that he was finally awake. 

“That was gross,” Demyx gagged.

At hearing Demyx’s voice, the boy suddenly froze, though he was still trying to slow his breathing. Heart racing, the boy looked at the basin as if finally recognizing what it was, looked up, saw the five of them, and screamed.

_Annnnd_ _I’m leaving it there because now I’m tired. I know it’s probably getting really annoying to keep reading “the boy” when you all know by this point who the boy is. Let me know how you think the story is going. R and R, you know the drill_ __


	3. Who Is This? Part 2

Chapter 3: Who Is This? Part 2

_I do not own Kingdom Hearts nor the characters or rights._  

(Cloud’s P.O.V)

The boy had screamed.

He had screamed and he had immediately sat up, grimacing only slightly at the lesser pain he was still feeling. He gripped the blanket close to him so tight that his already pale knuckles were going to crack in the skin. He stared at them like a terrified deer in the headlights, and he was shaking. 

Everyone was quiet for a moment, not really expecting his reaction to be so grandiose. Cloud took a step forward with his hands in front of him in a surrender position, but the boy still slunk deeper into the couch. Cloud could see now that the boy’s eyes were a beautiful shade of blue, like the sky on a blessed day, and they were big eyes too, even now when he was absolutely petrified. 

“Hey, hey” Cloud said slowly, “It’s alright...everything’s okay...we’re not going to hurt you.”

The boy’s breathing hadn’t slowed down, but Cloud was relieved to see the tension in his knuckles loosen but only slightly.

“You’re okay...everything’s fine” Cloud said. He slowly picked up the glass of water that was on the floor and held it out for the boy, “Do you want some water? You probably have the taste of vomit in your mouth right now.”

The boy stared at the water and then back at Cloud, too afraid to take it.

“Go on,” Cloud urged. Demyx, Roxas, Axel and Leon all made a notion not to move. If the boy was having this much trouble with Cloud, the “mother” of he and Leon’s relationship, then how was he going to react to the rest of them? The boy looked at the glass again.

“W-w-what's in-in it?” the boy stammered quietly. Cloud looked confused for a moment before he realized that the boy thought the water was drugged. 

“Nothing’s in it, it’s just water” Cloud said reassuringly. The boy still wouldn’t reach out for the glass, so to prove its purity, Cloud put the glass to his lips and took a sip of water. He held the glass back out to the boy. “See?”

The boy stared at the glass for a minute longer before he finally uncurled one his fists from the blanket and took the glass away from Cloud, careful not to actually come in contact with Cloud’s skin. His hand was shaking terribly, and Cloud was glad he didn’t fill it to the brim or else the boy would’ve probably spilled it at this point. He rose the glass to his lips and even though he was still shaking, Cloud could see the relief in his features when he actually drank the water. Rather than give the glass back to Cloud, the boy only bent down as far as his damaged body would allow him and he set the glass back on the floor, never taking his eyes off all of them, mostly Cloud since he was the one talking to him. Cloud held in a sigh. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. But something about staring at his terrified face made Cloud want to keep trying. 

“Wh-who are you?” the boy asked, his free hand going back to clutching the blanket. 

“I’m Cloud,” Cloud announced, and he turned slightly to the people behind him, “This is my husband Leon, and our friends Demyx, Axel and Roxas.” The three boys waved a little uncomfortably while Leon stepped up to join Cloud at his spot. The boy moved back in the couch again slightly when Leon moved. 

“There’s five of you,” the boy stated. Cloud nodded, not really sure why he pointed this out.

“Uh, yes, there’s five of us?” Cloud repeated. The boy looked at all of them in new fear, and nobody understood why.

“Th-that’s t-too many” the boy stammered, his voice beginning to crack, “I ca-can't, I can’t do th-that...I’ll r-rip,” he choked on his own words, trying to hold back a sob. 

“You’ll rip?” Leon repeated, “What are you-oh. Oh! Oh my god, wait. No, no no.”

“What’s he talking about?” Axel asked, clearly confused.

“No, no, son, you’ve got it all wrong” Leon said, careful not to move any closer towards the boy, “We’re not-you're not here for sex.”

All at once, Cloud and the three boys’ faces were in shock as it hit what the boy was referring to. 

“Wow, didn’t he jump the gun a little bit,” Demyx said.

“Yes, what Leon said, you’re not here for that,” Cloud said.

“Th-then why am I h-here?” the boy asked. He kept glancing around the room as if looking for something. Or someone. 

“Let’s start over” Cloud suggested, “What is your name?”

“Slut.”

Cloud blinked and leaned back a bit and then he looked at Leon to see if he had heard the same thing, and judging by his expression, he must have. 

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Cloud asked slowly.

“Slut,” the boy answered again, confused as to why he had to repeat it. Cloud couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Did the boy just recall himself as a slut? Why would he say that? 

“Um, do you have...anything else that we can call you?” Cloud tried. The boy shifted under the blanket, clearly uncomfortable with the question, “I just don’t want to call you...that.”

“There’s w-whore, little shit...cum-bucket-” the boy choked up on the last part, his eyes teary as he went down the list and he looked away.

“Okay, okay, stop” Leon said. This was unbearable, “What was the name you were born with, son?”

The look that came across the boy’s face when he looked at Leon was almost enough to break Cloud’s heart. The boy looked completely confused, but it was a look that clearly said not only had he been asked this question before...but that he couldn’t answer that question either. He looked extremely hurt at his lack of not being able to answer. He bit his lip as two tears came down his face. 

“How about Nathan?” Cloud cut in, not being able to bear the look on the boy’s face anymore, “Do you mind if we call you that?” 

The boy sniffled before answering, “What does Nathan mean?”

“Nathan just means Nathan. It’s just a name. Are you okay if we call you that?” Cloud asked. He didn’t right out give an agreement, but he gave a small few nods and Cloud smiled. 

“That’s great. We’ll call you Nathan,” Cloud sighed. 

“You didn’t answer my q-question,” Nathan said.

“I’m sorry, what did you ask?” Cloud asked.

“Why am I here? If it’s not for sex-”

“You’re here so we can help you. You were in a lot of pain when they brought you here-”

“Who?” Nathan asked, suspicious. Cloud motioned behind him.

“These three gentlemen over here brought you here. They said you were in... a bad situation,” Cloud explained. Nathan looked over at the three boys and he vaguely remembers seeing the red-haired one in the middle, but only the color of his hair. 

“Are you still in pain? You have a lot of bruises,” Cloud said softly, taking a few steps closer to Nathan. He only realized his mistake in asking that question when he saw Nathan’s face twist in confusion. As if only noticing just now that a certain “disturbance” was gone, Nathan immediately pulled up the blanket, and he sucked in a horrible gasp when he realized that he was naked. Cloud wanted to kick himself for not redressing him.

“Nathan, wait-”

“Stay away from me!” Nathan suddenly shouted at him. 

“Nathan-”

“No, stay away from me, you’re lying to me!” Nathan interrupted. He was back to where he was when he woke up, a terrified deer in the highlights reborn.

“I’m not lying, we’re here to help you,” Cloud tried.

“Then why am I naked?! Where are my clothes?! You lied to me, you touched me when I was unconscious, didn’t you?!” Nathan cried.

“Nathan, Nathan! Slow down! We did no such thing!” Leon cut in.

“Did you, or did you not take off my clothes?” Nathan asked, though he already knew the answer.

“...Yes, we did but it’s not for the reason you think,” Leon said.

“We took that monster dildo out of you,” Cloud said. Nathan’s eyes widened, and Cloud had a feeling it was because he might’ve just realized that there wasn’t a huge phallus currently stuck up his ass. He looked back to Leon and Cloud, looking for any fault in their confession, and when he found none, he relaxed a little. 

“T-thank you,” was all Nathan said. 

“We’re telling you the truth, Nathan” Cloud said, “We’re only here to help you.” Leon suddenly turned to Axel, Demyx and Roxas, who looked unsure of what to do next.

“Axel, Roxas, Demyx, love you all, but I think it’s best you leave,” Leon announced.

“What?!” Roxas asked, “We brought him here!”

“Yes, but I believe this a little too much for him, right now and you all have school tomorrow,” Leon said.

“It’s Friday,” Demyx pointed out.

“Guys, go home,” Leon said, ending the conversation. There were sighs of complaints but the three of them eventually grabbed their stuff and Nathan watched as they left the house.

“W-why did you send them away?” Nathan asked.

“Because we need to get you settled in,” Leon said. Nathan cowered into the couch, uncertain.

“What do you mean settled in?” Nathan asked. Cloud took a step and sat down on the couch next to Nathan, ignoring that Nathan looked incredibly uncomfortable with him being so close now. 

“What we mean is you’re going to be staying with us for a while and we just want to make sure you’re comfortable,” Cloud explained. 

“In exchange for what?” Nathan asked.

“In exchange for your health, Nathan” Leon said, “We just want you to get better. You’re deadly pale, and underweight, and there’s a lot of bruises that need proper healing.”

“They won’t,” Nathan said.

“Why is that?” Cloud asked.

“H-he made sure they wouldn’t,” Nathan said softly. Cloud only nodded in understanding, but he looked over at Leon and made sure that Leon caught what Nathan had said. So the culprit of this boy’s condition was a man. 

“We’ll see about that” Cloud challenged, “But first, let’s get you settled upstairs okay? How about some clothes? I think we can all use some of those.”

Nathan nodded, still having a death grip on the blanket. Leon chuckled a bit, only now remembering that he and Cloud were in the middle of having sex when they were so abruptly interrupted.  Cloud held out his hand towards Nathan, and it was the longest five minutes of his entire life before Nathan finally let go of the blanket and grabbed his hand. However, when he stood up, he let out a yelp and fell to his knees. Cloud and Leon were with him in a minute. 

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Cloud asked. Nathan was breathing heavy, and he swallowed a bit before he could answer.

“My...my legs just gave out. I-I haven’t walked in a while,” Nathan said.

“What?” Cloud said.

“I’m...normally confined...to the bed,” Nathan admitted, tears threatening to fall at his confession. Cloud rubbed his back reassuringly. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. We’re here to help, okay? C’mon, put your arm around my shoulder and Leon’s.” Nathan did as he was told and Cloud and Leon hauled him up to his feet but they were mostly supporting him. Cloud could tell that it was killing Nathan to be walking, and the images that were flying through his mind about Nathan being confined to the bed to the point where he couldn’t walk were almost too painful for Cloud to realize. It was a very slow process, but they finally managed to make it up the stairs and go two doors down. Leon opened the door and Nathan looked inside and his eyes widened.

Inside the room was rather large bed, with two big dressers presumingly filled with clothes. There was a TV attached to the wall in front of the bed, and across from the bed next to the closet was a mini fridge. 

“This will be your room while you stay with us. You need lots of fluid and your fridge is full of water so you should be fine,” Leon said as he and Cloud helped Nathan into the bed. 

“Wait!” Nathan exclaimed.

“You okay?” Cloud asked.

“Yes...um, it's just that...I would like to have some clothes,” Nathan said. Cloud nodded, knowing that Nathan was probably extremely uncomfortable being naked in front of two men at the moment. Cloud sat him down on bed as he rummaged through the dressers, eventually pulling out a pair of boxers and a T-shirt.

“These are my old clothes so they might be a little big,” Cloud said, handing Sora the clothes. When Nathan showed no signs of putting them on, he asked him why,

“I just wasn’t planning on receiving a shift is all,” Nathan said quietly. As he pulled on the shift, Cloud and Leon shared another look of utter shock. Cloud was not an angry person, but he was getting more and more angry after every sentence coming from Nathan. How dare a human being treat another human being like that? 

Nathan struggled greatly with his boxers, but he did manage to get them on by himself. Then he laid back down on the bed because he was actually exhausted. 

“I’m gonna make things a little easier for you,” Leon decided. He went over and unplugged the mini fridge, picked it up, and placed it on the dresser that was within reach of Nathan’s arms.

“This was you can actually reach your water,” Leon said. He looked over at Nathan, and was surprised to find the boy shaking and crying.

“What’s wrong?” Cloud asked, also noticing the sudden change. 

“You’re being...overly nice-for no-for no reason...and I don’t have a-a way to repay you. The only way I know how is-”

“Nathan, listen to me” Cloud said, sitting on the bed, “Cloud and I are happily married. We don’t want anything from you, sexual or anything. You do not need to repay us. If you want to repay us, then just get better in your health. We’re gonna help you, okay?” 

Nathan nodded slowly, clearly shocked yet relieved at Cloud’s words. Cloud smiled at him before getting up and heading towards the door.

“But he-”

“Is not going to find you” Leon finished, “I promise you that.” 

“No!” Nathan cried as Leon grabbed the door handle, “Don’t-shut the door...please.”

Leon nodded and left it open as he and Cloud went to their own bedroom while Nathan let sleep overcome him, feeling safe for once in his entire life. 

“This is something else,” Leon said as he and Cloud got back into bed. With who was only three doors down from them, they couldn’t bring themselves to get back to sex. 

“He needs our help. It’s just gonna be a long journey” Cloud said, “My blood was boiling every time he spoke about his time in that house. He’s only a child, Leon.”

“Hey” Leon said, pulling Cloud towards his chest, “We’re gonna help him, remember? But we have to be careful. I can see it in his eyes, he still doesn’t completely trust us. It bothers me, but you can’t blame him.” Cloud only nodded before yawning.

“Day 1 starts tomorrow,” Cloud said before falling asleep, Leon right behind him.

_Alright, this is definitely the last chapter I’m posting before I see some reviews and rates. I just need to know someone is reading this lol. If you’re with it, stay tuned! I’m finishing this_ _eiher_ _way because this story has been in my head way too long and I promise you, it’s a long story that I may have to split into three parts alone but I’ll think about it. Anyways, R and R! Poof!_


	4. Thinking Pain

Chapter 4: Thinking Pain

_I do own the rights or these characters of Kingdom Hearts. This fic is purely for fun because trust me, I if I owned Kingdom Hearts,_ _Kairi_ _would’ve died in the first game._

Day 1 decided to start at 3:38 in the morning, when Cloud and Leon were both pulled out of their slumber by Nathan screaming. They ran into the room to see if he was hurt and from his tossing and turning, it was very clear that he was having a nightmare. He was sweating again, and Cloud tried to remove his shirt but Nathan was struggling too much. 

“Nathan! Nathan! Nathan, wake up!” Cloud called, shaking him, trying to wake him up. 

“No!” Nathan shouted in his sleep, “No, please! I didn’t mean it! I’ll behave, I’ll behave I swear just don’t! Please!”

“Nathan, wake up!” Cloud yelled. 

“Stop it! It hurts!” Nathan cowered.

“Nathan!” Leon and Cloud both yelled.

Nathan bolted upright in a startled wake, almost headbutting Cloud is Cloud had not moved out of the way. He was gasping as if he couldn’t get enough air in, and he jumped in fright when Cloud put a hand on his shoulder.

“No!”

“It’s okay, it’s okay! It’s just us. It’s Cloud and Leon. Remember? You’re okay,” Cloud said reassuringly. Nathan was calming down after recognizing who he was with, and Cloud was pretty sure the situation had dissolved when Nathan’s face twisted up in pain and he groaned in pain, falling back into the mattress. 

“Nathan, what’s wrong?” Cloud asked, looking at Leon in complete puzzlement. Nathan wouldn’t answer him, and he started sweating again as he arched his back and curled his fists into the sheets. 

“Ah!” Nathan cried. Cloud was shaking his shoulders, trying to snap him out of it.

“Did he not wake up?” Leon asked, coming closer.

“Nathan, what’s going on?!” Cloud asked, patting the boy’s cheek, trying to bring him back. 

“He’s...ah-he’s here!” Nathan cried in anguish.

“No, he’s not, Nathan. He’s not here,” Leon said.

“He-is! I-I can...f-feel him!” Nathan said, tossing his legs, “I can feel him...inside me!” 

“What?” Cloud asked. 

“It’s the nightmare” Leon concluded, “He’s still reeling from the nightmare.”

“Nathan, Nathan, listen to me” Cloud said, trying to calm him, “He’s not here, he’s not here. You’re in our house. You’re not in pain. It’s not real. Come back to reality. He’s not here.”

Leon was going to join in and help his husband, but he was still trying to figure out why Nathan had acted like that. Kids are always a little shaken up after a nightmare, but what Nathan was doing on another level of confusion. Why did he think the guy was here? 

After what seemed like forever, Nathan’s breathing gradually began to slow down. He gave few more short intakes of breath before breathing out slowly. Finally, he opened his eyes, and looked at Cloud. 

“Are you okay?” Cloud asked. 

“I’m sorry. I woke you, didn’t I?” Nathan asked immediately, and he looked terrified that he did. 

“No-well, I mean you did, but that’s not important. Are you okay?” Cloud asked again, clear concern written all over his face. Nathan only nodded, frowning. 

“What was that?” Leon asked. 

“I had a nightmare,” Nathan responded, a little as if that was obvious.

“I mean afterwards” Leon corrected, “What happened there?” 

“Are you able to go back to sleep?” Cloud asked, cutting Leon off. 

“Um...yes,” Nathan decided. Cloud squeezed his shoulder and smiled.

“Alright, then get some sleep,” Cloud said, getting up off the bed. Nathan resettled himself back into the covers as Cloud led Leon out the room. When they got back to their room, Leon looked at his husband in confusion.

“Why did you-”

“I think it’s best” Cloud said, “That we should wait until the morning to discuss his...night terror. That wasn’t an ordinary thing and we both know it. But he needed to get back to sleep, he looked exhausted and so do we.”

“Why do I feel like you just don’t feel like learning anymore horrible news for the night?” Leon chuckled before settling into bed next to his husband.

“Do you?” Cloud asked. Leon snuggled into his pillow as his answer and Cloud smiled before turning off the light and going to sleep.

The next morning when they woke up and went to check in on Nathan, Cloud and Leon were both relieved to find him sitting up in bed and drinking a water bottle. 

“How are you feeling, Nathan?” Cloud asked.

“Better...thank you,” Nathan said. 

“You hungry?” Cloud asked and he nodded slowly, as if afraid to answer. 

“I’m going to cook some bacon and eggs, can you eat that?” Leon asked. Nathan nodded again. He’s had those foods only twice in his life as he could remember and that wasn’t even from the man, it was one of his clients. He made a motion to get out of bed and Cloud stopped him.

“Oh, no, no, that’s okay. You can stay up here and watch TV while you wait,” Cloud suggested before he and Leon disappeared back into their room. They washed and dressed before Leon made his way downstairs to begin making breakfast. Cloud was making the bed when he heard a bump and a groan. He walked into the hallway and found Nathan at the top of the steps, rubbing his legs from exhaustion.

“Nathan! What are you-”

“I’m sorry” Nathan said quickly, “But I didn’t want to be confined to the bed. You didn’t give me a chance to say it earlier.” 

Cloud automatically remembered what Nathan had said last night about being confined and he could’ve shot himself in the foot for his stupidity. 

“Fair enough. I forgot. Let me help you down,” Cloud said. He helped hoist Nathan up off the floor and together, they slowly descended the stairs. 

“Are your legs still not feeling right?” Cloud asked as they made it into the kitchen.

“It’s a little bit more bearable, but I still can’t completely walk” Nathan admitted sadly. Then he sniffed the air as Cloud sat him down, “It smells really good in here.”

Leon chuckled, “That’s my home cooking you’re smelling. It’s almost done.”

Cloud walked to the refrigerator and took out a gallon of water and pour Nathan a glass before setting it down in front of him, which he could’ve sworn he saw Nathan give a tiny smile of thanks for. He helped Leon make the three plates, and then they all sat down to eat. When Cloud noticed Nathan wasn’t touching his food, he nudged Leon and they both paused. 

“You okay?” Cloud asked. Nathan sighed heavily. 

“I... I feel like I... owe you an explanation for last night,” Nathan said solemnly. Leon looked over to Cloud, basically telling him to brace himself for whatever the hell was about come out of Nathan’s mouth.

“You don’t owe us anything, Nathan-”

“No, I d-do" Nathan pushed, “Because it’s going to happen again... and again and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Why do you say that? Nathan, it’s only a few nightmares, there’s nothing to-”

“I’m not t-talking about the nightmare. It’s afterwards,” Nathan said more sternly. 

“What happened afterwards... it’s going to happen again?” Cloud asked, looking at Leon with complete worry. 

“It’s... not something I can control” Nathan started, “About two years ago, I think, he came back to the house one night with someone with him and after they... finished with me, he told me to sit up and stare at the guy he had brought with him. The guy took out this... thing out of his briefcase and my mas-he told me to stare at it and if I looked away then I would be punished.”

Cloud and Leon couldn’t believe what they were listening to. The fact that he has to explain what happened to him last night was shocking to them. Especially after he said it’s going to happen again. Nathan took a hard break before continuing.

“About halfway through, I start getting really, really sleepy and it was only then that I realized that he was hypnotizing me, but I couldn’t figure out why he would do that. Just before I lost consciousness, the guy who I was living with, he... sat me on his... on his cock and I-I was already bruised from earlier so it hurt more than usual and I couldn’t black out. He forced me to look back at the device the man had in his hand and he told me that I would always remember... the pain of my ma-his cock...even in my sleep. I blacked out after that.”

“And...this is why what happened to you last night-” Leon started, trying to put the pieces together. Nathan nodded, finishing his statement. 

“It’s been happening every time now when I have a nightmare. I wake up and even though I’m physically fine, for the time being, it still feels like it hurts. I can still...feel him inside me. And I can’t control it,” Nathan choked, sniffling as two huge tears fell from his eyes as he looked down and away from the table. Cloud immediately got up from the table and went over and hugged him, purely out of parental instinct. Leon just sat there, replaying in his head what he just heard. Hypnotized to feel pain even in his sleep? Was he ever relieved from the pain? 

Leon looked across the table as Nathan was now full-blown sobbing and clutching Cloud for dear life. Cloud’s face looked broken, and Leon leaned back in his chair as it only became more and more clear about what type of case they were taking on here. This was definitely not what they were used to, and they went through over 30 kids in their house to get them back on the right track. But this... this was something else. 

Nathan ended up not having the strength to eat his breakfast, and he just drank the water Cloud had provided for him. They helped him into the living room, where he actually fell asleep on the couch from exhaustion. And both Cloud and Leon both prayed that he wouldn’t have a nightmare.

“Cloud, what are we going to do?” Leon asked, “This kid is-”

“Is pained, abused, and emotionally broken” Cloud said, “I know. But Leon we can’t abandon him.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that” Leon said, taking Cloud’s hand, “We don’t abandon our cases, we would never be able to forgive ourselves. I was going to say that the kid just needs a little more help than we’re used to providing. But I think he can make it. It’s just going to be a long time, especially when he’s still afraid that this man is coming for him. We will work with him, at his pace. We can’t push him like the scared straight kids we did before.” 

“It’s only Day 1,” Cloud laughed. Nathan gruntled against Cloud’s arm and both froze for a moment until he settled back into a peaceful slumber. Cloud brushed his hair out of his face as Leon turned on the TV, more determined than ever to see this case through.

_I realize this chapter is rather short, but I didn’t want to make it too long with another scene because I’m just_ _gonna_ _put it in the next chapter. Have no worries, the BBS kids are coming back and so are_ _Demyx_ _, Axel, and_ _Roxas_ __


	5. What It Means In Japanese

Chapter 5: What It Means In Japanese

_OKay_ _, here’s Chapter 5 as promised!  As always, I do not own the rights or characters to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy._

_“_ Dude, that’s the fifth damn time you’ve checked your phone in the past ten minutes, you cheating on Roxas or something?” Vanitas asked, clearly annoyed at seeing the glare in the corner of his eyesight. They were in English class and instead of actually doing any work, the teacher had just put in a movie about a failed artist who found love and left the classroom, claiming to be go run some errands. While Vanitas wasn’t exactly paying attention to the movie, he was trying to sleep and the bright glare from Axel’s phone was driving him nuts. 

“Fuck off, Vanitas” Axel said, “I’m waiting for Cloud to text me back.”

“You do realize those two have a life, yes?” Ventus said from next to Vanitas. He too was also trying to sleep but Vanitas whining from Axel was keeping him awake. 

“Yeah well unfortunately, their life was a little interrupted by a certain person, do I can bother them as much as I want,” Axel laughed, still going through his phone. It had been two weeks since they had dropped off Nathan at Cloud and Leon’s house, having rescued him from...whatever it is that they rescued him from. He and Roxas had been texting the married couple over the course of those two weeks, asking questions regarding the boy. Cloud and Leon have been giving them strict instructions that they are not to come over until the give the okay, and honestly that didn’t sit too well with Roxas so they’ve been texting them nonstop. Leon never responds and Cloud does nothing but give short messages.

He ate this morning.

Had three nightmares the other night.

He can walk. 

He fell asleep on the couch. 

These were not the updates Axel was exactly looking for, but Cloud had already informed him that he and Leon absolutely refused to ask Nathan about who he is or what kind of situation he was in when the boys found him. They deemed him too fragile to talk about it and decided to just make sure he’s comfortable. 

“You two do me a favor and go make out in the corner, will you? Leave me be,” Axel snickered.

“As soon as Roxas gives you a blowjob in the car. Guess we’ll be dead by then,” Vanitas remarked. Axel slapped him on his arm, which Vanitas would’ve retaliated with a punch to the throat had Ventus not caught his arm mid-swing. 

“Vanitas, you just got off suspension,” Ventus said. 

“Fair enough,” Vanitas nodded, lowering his arm.

“Cloud, I don’t care that he was watching TV this morning, you damn prick,” Axel mumbled to himself, looking at the newest text from his phone. 

“Who are you talking about?” Vanitas asked, giving up trying to go to sleep. Ventus was still attempting to, but with less effort as his head wasn’t laying all the way on his shoulders. 

“Nathan,” Axel said, as if it was obvious.

“Oh, right. My supposed twin,” Vanitas growled, looking back towards the movie. Ventus frowned at Vanitas’s response. When the boys had gotten back to school that following Monday when the weekend ended, the boys had for some reason told the two what they had done. Ventus was very uneasy about the fact that they had kidnapped a kid, claiming that they “rescued” him if anything. They wouldn’t exactly say what the boy looked like, but Axel, being the asshole that he is, decided the most appropriate way to describe Nathan was “He looks like Vanitas if Vanitas wasn’t the spawn of Satan.” Whether Axel was aware of Vanitas situation with look alikes or not, the comment didn’t sit well with Vanitas and it was clearly still bothering him even after two weeks. Ventus had tried to get him to talk about it, but Vanitas shot him down like always. 

The bell rang and Vanitas was the first one out the door, now in a sour mood thanks to Axel. When Ventus noticed that Vanitas walked right towards the stairwell instead of left towards the other hallway, Ventus sighed, trying to make the decision of whether he should skip class and go confront Vanitas or leave him to his feelings and go to class. He took on step towards the hallway, and then cursed as he went towards the stairwell. When he opened the door, he found Vanitas kicking the wall.

“You’re going to break your foot,” Ventus commented.

“Go to class, salt,” Vanitas commented, not ceasing his violent affection to the wall. Ventus let the door close behind him.

“I know the answer to this already, but do you want to talk about it?” Ventus asked.

“There’s nothing to talk about. Will you leave me alone so I can break my foot in peace?” Vanitas said, not even looking at him.

“Vanitas, Axel didn’t mean-”

“I KNOW he didn’t mean it, okay?!” Vanitas yelled at Ventus, making him jump, “I am very aware that that damn pyro didn’t mean anything by his comment. Thank you for the morning report yet again!...,” Vanitas said, breathing heavy from kicking the wall rather harshly during his outburst, “...That doesn’t make it hurt any less.”

“I’m sorry,” Ventus said, scratching one of his wristbands. Vanitas getting like this always made him anxious. 

“That’s all you ever are, stop saying that,” Vanitas said.

“Well what do you expect me to say? I’m not going to ridicule Axel to the ground so you can kick the wall some more until your foot starts bleeding,” Ventus said.

“I expect you to leave me alone!” Vanitas said rather harshly, “You always do this! I leave the situation so I won’t kill anybody and for some reason you see it as an idea to try and talk to me when I clearly don’t want to talk.”

“It’s called being a friend?” Ventus said, offended.

“It’s called leave me alone and get over your damn feelings for me!” Vanitas shouted, his roar echoing in the stairwell. Ventus stopped scratching his wristband in complete shock. Vanitas, realizing what he just said, suddenly clamped his mouth shut violently and turned away from him towards the window in the stairwell. Ventus gripped the wristband, not really knowing what to do. 

For two full minutes, neither one of them said anything. 

“Ventus, I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Vanitas stopped, hearing the door to the stairway open and then shut. Vanitas flared his nostrils and kicked at the wall with renewed rage. 

_At Cloud and Leon’s House:_

Cloud was highly debating whether to block Roxas and Axel or just turn his phone off and pray Leon didn’t need him for anything. The two had been texting him non-stop about Nathan and while Cloud was happy that they were concerned, Cloud wished that they wouldn’t keep texting him asking about him. Cloud’s short responses were in retaliation to their texts. It was more a joke to him for his own amusement. But he wasn’t lying in those messages. Those things he sent to them were actually improvements. For the two weeks that Nathan had been with them, he was slowly improving health wise, which was the important part to Leon. His skin was becoming less pale, and he could faintly see a glow of sun-kissed skin trying to break through the dry and sickly skin. His hair was becoming fuller, and Cloud was reminded of his own hair as to how spiky the boys was turning out to truly be. He was able to get down the stairs by himself, albeit rather slowly but it was better than Leon and Cloud having to help him every time. 

Nathan was also getting a little bit used to Cloud and Leon, which made Cloud happy. Leon was in and out the house working, and eventually Nathan got used to the front door opening without thinking it was the man who he was living with before. He was also better with Cloud and Leon touching him to examine him, although they still had to fight him when it came taking off his shirt to treat his wounds on his stomach.

Nathan still had his setbacks. The nightmares were still happening, including the after hypnosis control when Nathan woke up. Cloud and Leon had decided to take turns comforting him whenever it happened, which was practically every night. There were also some things that occurred that Cloud and Leon had to change because of Nathan’s reaction to them. If anyone shouted, Nathan would jump severely and cower into whatever blanket he was under. Cloud and Leon couldn’t grab him too quickly or Nathan wouldn’t let them touch him at all, in pure fright. And clearly asking Nathan about his past turned out to be a huge no no, so they just gave up after the first try. 

Cloud was interrupted by his thoughts when Nathan joined in at the dinner table, finally getting down the stairs.

“How you feeling?” Cloud asked. Leon was currently in the other room on his laptop, video chatting with a colleague over in Europe about a new development. 

“A little nauseous, but I’m okay” Nathan said, “Sorry about last night.”

Cloud shook his hand, indicating everything was okay. Last night was a rather bad nightmare last night, and when Cloud shook him to wake him up, Nathan had jumped and accidentally slapped him, thinking he was the in his nightmare.   

“Don’t worry about it, it was bound to happen sooner or later,” Cloud laughed, trying to make light of the situation. 

“Where’s Leon?” Nathan asked, noticing that Cloud was the one cooking and Leon was MIA.

“In the living room working. He’ll join us in a minute,” Cloud said, stirring the mac and cheese pot.

“What does he do?” Nathan asked.

“Computers. He deals with the new projects and developments of the latest PCs,” Cloud explained. 

“Do you have a job?” Nathan asked.

“I’m an online teacher,” Cloud answered.

“I’ve never seen you teach,” Nathan said, then immediately apologized.

“Don’t worry about it. I do it in the morning, and you’re normally asleep so you don’t ever see me in action” Cloud said, “I’m about to call to him, hold on. Leon! Come on, dinner’s ready!” Cloud figured if he warned him then Nathan wouldn’t jump. He smiled when he didn’t. He reminded himself to add that to the list of things he could adjust. 

“One moment!” Leon called back, “Hey Cloud, what’s sky in Japanese?” 

“Why are you asking me? You have a damn laptop in front of you,” Cloud rolled his eyes.

“Because being married to someone who supposedly studied japanese for three years should practice their craft before they forget everything,” Leon said. 

“Who cares what it is? Why are you even  asking me that?” Cloud asked, rather amused. 

“It’s Sora,” Nathan whispered. Cloud looked from the pot over to Nathan and noticed that Nathan’s face had a look of pain on his face.

“Nathan, what’s wrong?” Cloud asked.

“I’ll call you later,” Leon said to his colleague immediately upon hearing Cloud say that. He closed his laptop and walked into the kitchen, where Cloud was across the table from Nathan, who was staring at the table as if seeing it for the first time. 

“What’s wrong?” Cloud asked.

“It’s Sora,” Nathan said.

“What?” Leon asked.

“Sky. Sky in Japanese...it’s Sora,” Nathan said, and Cloud noticed his voice go up a pitch. He was getting upset. 

“Why are you upset?” Cloud asked, clearly confused as well as Leon. Nathan sucked in a breath, and his bottom lip trembled.

“Sora...th-that’s my name...” he said, “My name is Sora.” Cloud and Leon looked at each other in complete disbelief. They turned back to Nathan-Sora, who had began to cry silently.

“My name is Sora...I forgot my own name...I forgot my name,” Sora said before dropping his head on the table, crying miserably. Cloud felt his throat tighten. This boy had suffered so much to the point where he didn’t even know his own identity. While for once Cloud stood there not knowing what to do, he watched as Leon walked around to where Sora sat, and put a hand on his shoulder. Sora tensed and looked up, confused, his eyes blurry. Leon smiled at him.

“Hello Sora, I’m Leon, and it’s nice to meet you,” Leon said calmly. It took Sora a second to realize what he had said.

And then Sora got up and hugged him. 

_You guys have no idea how good it feels to write Sora instead of Nathan, lol. That’s it for this chapter, how was Sora’s realization? And what’s up with Vanitas and_ _Ventus_ _? Stay tuned for the next chapter. Poof!_  


	6. The "S" Word Is Not Allowed Part 1

The “S” Word Is Not Allowed Part 1

I do not own the rights nor characters to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy

_A naked Sora was pushed against the wall hard. He was pretty sure he cracked his skull open but he was still awake so maybe he just barely missed death. Sora didn’t have time to decipher it that much before the man grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked him to his feet, which were already beginning to give out on him. Knowing he’d be hit for not giving eye contact, Sora looked up into the gold eyes of the man he’s been living with for as long as he could remember. And to this day, he was still petrified._

_“What was that little display of disobedience earlier?” the man asked calmly, but Sora knew better. Calm was bad, yelling was merciful._

_“I didn’t mean to, I swear!” Sora groaned. The man slapped him hard across the face, splitting his upper lip._

_“You didn’t mean to? Well,_ _obviously_ _if you didn’t mean to, you would’ve never said it in the first place,” the man said._

_“I was trying to-”_

_“Shut up!” the man roared, flinging him by his fistful of hair to the wall again. Sora’s head didn’t hit the wall this time, but he felt his back come into hard_ _contact_ _with the shelf that far too low. He cried out as he fell to the floor, arching his back to try and ease the pain. He heard the man walk away from him, and through his one good eye (the man had punched him earlier), he saw him opening the bottom drawer and he felt his blood run cold._

_“No...no, wait, please!” Sora begged._

_“You know I don’t like it when you beg. It only makes me want to hit you harder,” the man said_ _nonchalantly_ _as he pulled out one of the leather whips._

_“Please, I’m sorry! I swear, I won’t misbehave again! Please!” Sora begged. He could practically already feel the pain. The scary part of it was that he never knew where he was going to hit him with those whips._

_“You said that the last time, didn’t you? I’m starting to think you like getting hit, you little masochist slut,” the man smirked as he closed the drawer. Sora watched in pure terror as he sauntered towards him, whip in hand. Although Sora was watching the whip, not the man himself. There was still dried blood on it from the last time he hit him with it._

_“On your hands and knees, now,” the man commanded._

_“Please-”_

_“If I have to repeat myself, I’m doubling the_ _amount_ _of rounds you’re getting,” the man warned. Sora looked away from him, and on shaky and barely standing legs, he_ _maneuvered_ _himself until he was on his hands and knees, facing away from the man._

_“I’ve decided on 30, since you decided to beg. You were only going to get 10 originally,” the man laughed and Sora_ _swallowed_ _the lump in his throat to prevent himself from throwing up. He didn’t see how he was going to throw up, he hadn’t eaten in two days._

_“You know the drill, I whip and you say...?” the man urged. Sora didn’t respond immediately, and the man hit him once with the whip in anger. It whipped against his thighs, and Sora cried out and immediately went to a child’s pose,_ _shielding_ _his thighs._

_“What do you say?” the man asked again, his temper beginning to get the best of him._

_“I-I’m a slut,” Sora choked out through a half sob._

_“If you say so” the man said, “It’s 40 now, just so you’re aware. And that one just now didn’t count.” Before he was forced to tell him to, Sora went back to his original position, his thighs already screaming. The first whip came down._

_“I’m a slut,” Sora forced out._

_“Louder.” Hit._

_“I-I’m a slut!”_

_“Louder.” Hit. Hit._

_“I’M A SLUT! I’m a slut! I’m a slut!”_

_…......................................................................_

_“_ He won’t stop repeating it,” Cloud said as Leon came into the room. It looked like this was one of those nights where both of them were going to be needed to wake him up. Cloud was shaking him severely, which only seemed to be doing more harm than good.

_“_ Sora! Sora, wake up! Wake up!” Cloud was yelling. 

“I’ve got an idea, but I’m going to hate myself for it,” Leon said as he left the bedroom. Cloud was trying to keep Sora laying down in one position, as he was twitching in odd angles every few seconds and kept repeating the words “I’m a slut.”

“Cloud, watch out,” Leon said a few minutes later, coming back with a basin full of water in his hand.

“Leon, why do you have that?” Cloud asked, concerned.

“He’s not waking up like he normally does by this point, call it an experiment for next time it gets out of hand,” Leon explained, before swinging the basin and splashing the water on top of Sora. 

Sora jumped awake at the contact, sitting up too fast and breathing heavy. He threw the covers off him immediately, noticing how wet he truly was but not knowing why. Leon put the basin down, feeling slightly bad but also relieved that he was awake. Sora was still breathing heavy.

“What-what was-” Sora gasped, still reeling from the shock and his nightmare combined. Cloud knew it was only a matter of moments before the hypnosis began to kick in. So he ignored Sora’s question as he shooed Leon out the room, sat on the now drenched bed, and tried to console Sora before the screaming began. Leon walked out with the basin in hand, and gave Cloud a look that said “Sorry for wetting him, but it worked.” 

…...........................................................

“What took you so long? You literally live by yourself,” Vanitas commented as Ventus got into the passenger seat, throwing his duffel bag in the back. They were on their way to the airport, as Ventus’s parents suddenly remembered he existed and wanted him to spend a week with them in Sacramento, where they were currently working. Vanitas had offered to drive him over a month ago, so he was only keeping his end of the bargain. 

“I forget where I put things, living by myself,” Ventus said, closing the door. He pulled out his phone and Vanitas pulled out of the driveway and sped off towards the airport. The first ten minutes in the car was absolutely silent. It had been two days since Vanitas has his outburst in the stairwell, and while Ventus had text him later that day saying he wasn’t mad, Vanitas wasn’t stupid, he spent too much time with him to know that Ventus wasn’t a least upset about what he had said. Vanitas did feel bad about it. He hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings, again, but he just wanted him to shut up because he couldn’t think. After another five minutes, Vanitas yanked the headphone out of Ventus‘s left ear.

“Hey!” Ventus exclaimed. 

“I’m sorry” Vanitas said, “About...the other day.”

“Vanitas, I already told you I’m not mad,” Ventus said, taking out his other headphone. 

“You know you’re terrible at lying.”

“I’m not lying!”

“You’re not mad, but you’re still upset. I know you are,” Vanitas corrected. 

“It doesn’t matter if I’m still upset, I was in the wrong. I should’ve just left you alone,” Ventus said.

“Wait, what?” Vanitas asked.

“I said I should’ve left you alone-”

“No before that,” Vanitas directed.

“I said it doesn’t matter if I’m still upset,” Ventus said slowly.

“Two things with that statement. One, you’re still upset, and you just told on yourself. Two, why would say it doesn’t matter?” Vanitas asked.

“Because it doesn’t. You were right. Now drop it,” Ventus said. He only managed to put one headphone back in before Vanitas yanked it out again.

“Vanitas!”

“I wasn’t right to yell at you,” Vanitas said.

“Oh, so you’d rather I sit here and indulge in my feelings about you? That didn’t go well the last time,” Ventus scoffed. 

“I didn’t say that,” Vanitas said, trying his best to control his anger boiling, although it was mostly out of concern.

“Then what do you want me to do? Because obviously being a friend didn’t work the last time,” Ventus said. 

“I want you to stop this!” Vanitas spat out, pulling onto the side of the road. Ventus looked at him, completely confused. 

“Why did you-”

“Why are you acting like this?!” Vanitas asked, his voice slightly raised, “You act all lonesome and quiet and quite frankly, I don’t like it. You’re almost as snappy as me and you’ve just...closed yourself off. It’s been a year since then. Did I hurt you that bad? I only said a damn word. Why are you acting like this?”

For a minute, Ventus just stared at him, scratching his wristband. He bit the inside of his cheek, and sighed. There was another minute of full silence as Vanitas waited for an answer Ventus didn’t seem ready to give. But right when Ventus went to open his mouth, Vanitas started the car again and pulled off the side of the road. 

“Fine, don’t fucking answer me. I don’t care anymore,” Vanitas snarled. Ventus turned away towards the window, fighting back tears. The rest of the 45 minute card ride was in a new and more uncomfortable silence. When they arrived at the airport, Ventus reached into the backseat and grabbed his backpack. He paused for a brief second, his hand stuck on the door handle. 

Just as he was about to open the door, Vanitas suddenly grabbed him by the collar and smashed their lips together. 

_Five Days Later:_

Axel, Roxas, Demyx, Zexion and Vanitas were sitting in the grass in Demyx’s backyard, drinking alcohol from a cooler. Roxas was cradled against Axel’s side next to him on the grass, Zemyx was reading a book, Demyx was messing around with his Sitar, and Vanitas on sitting on a rock, refusing to get grass stains. 

“Zemy, you sure you don’t want one?” Demyx asked.

“I can’t concentrate if I’m intoxicated,” Zemyx said, not lifting his eyes from his book.

“That’s good though. Because then all you do is concentrate on me,” Demyx smiled.

“You are so needy,” Roxas and Zemyx said at the same time. Demyx sat up.

“Says the one who’s having a snuggle party with his boyfriend,” Demyx laughed. 

“That’s because I’m trying to go to sleep. Axel makes a great pillow,” Roxas said, not in the least offended by Demyx’s comment. He felt Axel’s phone vibrate in his pocket, and groaned as he had to move slightly so Axel could get it.

“Is it Cloud?” Roxas asked.

“Yeah with his stupid ass facts of the day,” Axel said.

“Is he ever going to give us an actual update? I mean, hey, I’m worried about the kid. Been worried since we left him there. Well, worry isn’t the right word, Cloud and Leon aren’t going to harm him-” Demyx said.

“Dem, we got it” Roxas said, “We feel the same. I want to see him,”

“Cloud and Leon won’t let us. I don’t see why not seeing we were the ones who saved him,” Axel said.

“I’m still trying to figure out why you just decided to kidnap a random person,” Vanitas said from the rock. Roxas looked up, forgetting he was there. Vanitas had been quiet the entire time they were there, which was unusual for him. They didn’t have any idea of what happened between him and Ven at the airport, and quite frankly, Vanitas wasn’t planning on telling them.  

“It was a life or death situation,” Demyx said proudly.

“Well I wouldn’t say that,” Roxas laughed.

“Nah, I agree with Demyx. He looked terrible,” Axel said. 

“Well if Cloud’s stupid ass texts are anything to go by, he seems to be doing better,” Roxas noted. Axel’s phone buzzed again, and when he looked at it, he sat up so fast, Roxas’s face hit the grass.

“Ow! Axel!” Roxas whined.

“It’s Cloud” Axel said, “Next friday. He says we can come over next Friday.”

_OKay_ _, not_ _gonna_ _lie, I ran out of steam a bit after the whole Vanitas and_ _Ventus_ _thing, but you can see why. So many questions when it comes to them and their weird friendship. Next chapter, Sora gets reacquainted with_ _Demyx_ _,_ _Roxas_ _, and Axel,_ _as they learn the new rules they now have to abide to in Cloud and Leon’s home._  


	7. The "S" Word Is Not Allowed Part 2

The “S” Word Is Not Allowed Part 2

_Disclaimer Here: I do not own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy characters._

_Next Friday_

Cloud was pacing back and forth in the living room and it was driving Leon nuts. He had been doing it for the past five minutes, mumbling to himself. All three of them were in the living room, a rerun of Good Times was on. Leon had been working on new designs for a PC, and Sora had fallen asleep on the couch. Leon noticed that he seemed less incline to have a nightmare when he wasn’t sleeping in his bed, and that scared Leon quite a bit. But Cloud’s pacing was annoying him more than his fear of Sora’s bed habits.

“Cloud, will you please sit down, you’re driving me nuts,” Leon confessed, putting his pencil down.

“Maybe I should text them to come next friday,” Cloud offered.

“No. Besides, you already know Axel is going to come regardless even if you say that,” Leon said.

“I know I said they could come today but what if Sora’s not ready?” Cloud asked.

“He’s already seen them once before,” Leon said.

“Yes but do you honestly believe he remembers them?” Cloud countered back.

“Well, they’re going to see him eventually. He’s gotten used to us...for the most part. Maybe he needs to be around people his own age to relax,” Leon shrugged his shoulders. 

“Isn’t that the reason why I invited them over in the first place? I just don’t want him to...freak out,” Cloud said.

“Why would he do that? Didn’t you tell him they were coming?” Leon asked. Cloud looked at him, confused.

“I thought you told him,” Cloud said. It was quiet for a moment before Cloud cursed.

“Damnit Leon,” Cloud laughed. He walked over to the couch where Sora was currently sleeping and shook him lightly to wake him up. Since he was on the couch, he didn’t jump. Sora sat up and rubbed his eyes. 

“Did I fall asleep again?” Sora asked.

“Yes, but it’s fine” Cloud said, “I woke you up because we have to tell you something.”

Upon the look of horror on Sora’s face, Cloud quickly fixed his sentence.

“It’s good news, I promise!” Cloud said, “Um, do you remember the three boys that were here when you first got here?”

Sora looked away for a moment, trying to remember what Cloud was talking about. A moment or two later, he cocked his head from side to side.

“I only kind of remember. Was one of them blonde?” Sora asked.

“Two were blonde. But that doesn’t matter. Um, we were supposed to mention it to you earlier, but, those three gentlemen are coming over today. They’ve been worried about you since they dropped you off here and just want to see how you’re doing. Is that okay with you?” Cloud asked. 

“I-I don’t really have a choice, do I? It’s your house, I can’t really-” 

“It’s our house but they’re coming over for you. If you don’t want them to, I’ll tell not to come. It’s your decision. You think you’ll be okay?” Cloud asked. Sora thought on it for a moment, and then nodded slowly.

“I think I’ll be fine...but could one of you stay in the room while they’re here?” Sora asked. Cloud nodded. That was fair enough. Sora might trust him and Leon just barely but the three boys were a different story.

“Alright. I’m going to go on my way, I told them I’d pick them up. I’ll be back in ten minutes,” Leon said, getting up and putting his designs in the folder.

“Aren’t you going to finish that?” Cloud asked as he grabbed Leon’s keys off the key rack for him.

“Finish it tomorrow” Leon commented as he went and kissed Cloud on the cheek. Then he whispered, “I have a feeling we’re both going to be needed today.”

“Don’t jinx it,” Cloud smiled as Leon walked out the door. He turned to Sora, “Sora, do you want something to drink?” 

“No, that’s okay,” Sora said. Cloud hesitated a moment. He didn’t like the way Sora had responded. He was clearly thinking about three new people coming into this house and it was making him uncomfortable. Cloud sighed, maybe he should’ve just told the boys another month or a year. He walked back over to where Sora was on the couch and sat down. 

“You okay?” Cloud asked.

“I’m fine...,” Sora said, not looking at him, staring at the TV instead.

“You don’t sound fine. You sure you’re okay?” Cloud asked again. Sora chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before responding. 

“This is going to sound incredibly stupid, but... I feel embarrassed,” Sora said, still refusing to face Cloud. 

“Embarrassed? Why would you feel embarrassed?” Cloud asked, confused.  

“Because...because of what I-I looked like when they saw me, when you and Leon saw me” Sora added, “I...didn’t say anything because you two have been...I’ve been treated better than I have in a long time. But I know I looked like a walking corpse, I was practically dying. I guess embarrassed isn’t really the word. Ashamed is more like it. And it only added to the reality of my situation, which was already frightening enough in my eyes. But...to see someone else staring at me with such a....pitied expression, it hurt...a lot.” 

“You think they’re going to judge you from that?” Cloud asked. Sora nodded. 

“It‘s a good thing you’re meeting them today then. Sora, I promise you that’s not what’s going to happen. If anything, they’re going to be happy to see that your health has improved. They’ve been texting Leon and I nonstop since they brought you here because they were extremely concerned about your well-being.” Cloud explained. Sora turned to him at last.

“Really?” Sora asked, shocked.

“Yes. It drove me mad. But I also want you to know that Leon and I didn’t judge you either. While we haven’t quite...discussed your time before being here, we have decided that it wasn’t your fault. We can’t judge for things that are out of our control. And your situation was very clearly out of your control. Axel, Roxas and Demyx understand that too. Trust me, they’ll be happy to see you.” Cloud said, placing a hand on Sora’s shoulder reassuringly. Sora smiled at him, and it was one of those few times when his smile reached his eyes and he gave Cloud a brief hug. 

_In Leon’s Car_

“Leon, you do realize we could’ve drove over there ourselves, right? Axel and I both own a car,” Demyx said. 

“Yes but if I left you to your own devices, you won’t leave,” Leon said. During the time when Leon and Cloud were a part of the foundation, the three amigos, with the inclusion of Vanitas and Ventus occasionally, would stay at their house until the Lord knows when. While the married couple didn’t mind, they weren’t sure if them spending the night so early was good for Sora. 

“Besides, I have some things to talk to you guys about,” Leon said.

“As in?” Axel asked.

“We’ve established a few new rules to the house,” Leon said.

“Rules? What the hell, you’re watching a teenager, not a toddler,” Axel said.

“Shut up, Axel. In regards to our new situation, we made a few new rules. First one and probably the most important one, the word “slut” is not allowed to be said in our house or on our property.”

“Aww, but that’s my favorite nickname for Roxy,” Axel laughed, earning him a pop to the head from said blonde in from the backseat.

“Two” Leon said, ignoring, “If you’re going to yell, please at least give some type of warning. Do not just shout at the top of your lungs for no reason. He startles very easily. Three, don’t grab him or touch him without warning either. He barely remembers who you guys even are and he took quite a long time to even let Cloud and I help him with his injuries. Which leads me to rule number four, don’t stare at his wounds. There’s a few on his legs that are being extremely stubborn to subside. They’re not huge but you can still kind of see it. As you can probably guess, he’s self-conscious about his body for reasons we both know and don’t know. Last rule, do not, and I repeat do not, ask him about anything regarding anything you saw in that house you found him in. Don’t ask him about his past at all. Cloud and I only asked one time and it turned into an episode. He’s still not ready to talk about it.” 

“How’s he doing physically then? If his legs are still bad?” Roxas asked. 

“They’re not as bad as I’m making them out to be. But overall, he looks healthier,” Leon replied. 

“Good for Nathaniel,” Demyx said.

“Oh! That reminds me! His name isn’t Nathaniel anymore. About three weeks ago, thanks to my coworker’s question, he actually remembered his name. His name is Sora,” Leon samiled.

“Well that suits him better than Nathaniel,” Demyx laughed. Roxas and Axel joined him, and Leon pulled into his garage slowly. He only prayed that he and Cloud wouldn’t end up regretting their decision to do this. 

_I apologize if this chapter is a little slow or boring, but I had to make room_ _because_ _the next few chapters coming are going to be a little much._ _Do_ _you guy think it’s going to be a good or bad interaction between Sora and the three amigos? And don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten about_ _Ventus_ _and Vanitas. You know the drill, R and R. Poof!_


	8. A Laugh and A Cry

A Laugh and A Cry 

_Disclaimer: I do not own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This fic is purely for fun._  

 

Even though the door was unlocked, Axel stilled knocked on the door with his signature 13 knocks on the door. 

“Hello, hello! The best thing that’s ever happened is here,” Axel said as Cloud opened the door.  

“You mean Roxas finally gave you a blowjob in the car?” Cloud commented as they walked in. Sora had went upstairs to go grab a water bottle from his refrigerator.  

“Why the hell does everyone know about this?!” Axel complained. 

“Because you keep talking about it not happening, so unfortunately for you, it’s been become known as a common fact,” Roxas snickered. He took in so much joy at the fact that his whole “no road head” thing was driving Axel nuts every time it was brought up.  

“Aside from that, how are you three after religiously bothering my phone non-stop?” Cloud asked. 

“We’re fine. Leon gave us the run down before we got here,” Demyx said.  

“He said Na-Sora looks better, health wise,” Roxas corrected. Cloud nodded. 

“You can see that for yourself compared to what he looked like when you brought him here. He should be downstairs in a minute, he went to go get water,” Cloud said. Just as he said it, Sora came walking, still slightly slowly, down the steps. It was very obvious that he slowed his descent upon noticing there were three extra people in the house, but he only paused for a moment before continuing down the steps. He stopped at the bottom and didn’t move, staring at Cloud with an unsure expression even though he and Cloud had already talked about this. Axel, Roxas and Demyx looked at him with slightly wide eyes, extremely surprised to see Sora in such a different condition compared to when they had brought him there. But they were also extremely happy to see him in a much healthier and brighter state.  

After another minute, Sora let go of his death grip on the stair banister, and before anyone really had time to process what was going on, Sora had grabbed the closest one to him (which was Axel), and hugged him tightly. Axel had his arms out in complete shock, not expecting that at all. 

“Thank you,” Axel faintly heard Sora whisper into his chest. Axel smirked and relaxed slightly.  

“No problem,” Axel said, lightly hugging him back, not sure how he was going to take that. Sora let go of him, and the three were surprised to find he had tears in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry” he said, wiping at his face as a tear escaped, “It’s just...I never-I never lived through a day...where I thought that I would be...away from...him. I was always too weak or...tired to try. He made sure of that. I-I know I look like a crybaby right now but-” 

Roxas interrupted his unnecessary apology by giving him a hug.  

“You’re welcome,” Roxas said as Sora let the tears fall unto Roxas’s shoulder. Cloud and Leon were actually quite shocked. They hadn’t expected Sora to come within a foot of the boys, but this display of gratitude was rather touching. When Sora finally composed himself, Roxas let go of him as he wiped his remaining tears.    
“Sorry,” Sora spoke, “I don’t know what came over me just now.”  

“It’s fine, my shirt will dry,” Roxas shrugged as Axel and Demyx made their way to the couch. Cloud smiled. 

“Sora, it doesn’t look like you’ll be needing me. I’m going to go help Leon with dinner. Call if you need me,” Cloud said.  Sora looked uncomfortable at that statement for only a moment before deciding that all was okay for now, and settled himself on the armchair sofa, a couch away from the boys. His previous worries of them judging them had slipped away to the back of him mind for the moment, but after his recent behavior, he took a step back. Even though that man wasn’t here, Sora too clearly remembered the punishment he would receive if he seemed to be showing affection towards another man, and he could actually feel his back tingling from the memory of it so he tried to his hardest to push it away.  

“Um...who’s who?” Sora asked, rather quietly. He had retreated back to himself, which the boys didn’t know if that was a good sign or a bad sign seeing as he seemed more comfortable just moments ago.  

“I’m Demyx,” Demyx said. 

“I’m Roxas, and this is my annoying boyfriend, Axel,” Roxas said, pointing towards the pyro. 

“I’m the better half of him,” Axel declared. 

“What?” Sora asked, confused. 

“Ignore him,” Roxas said. 

“Don’t take this as an insult, but you look so much better than when we brought you here,” Demyx said. 

“Demyx!” Roxas exclaimed.  

“No! Um, it’s okay” Sora said, “I know I looked...rather...unsettling.” He was right. His fear was real. They were going to judge him. He thought about calling Cloud.  

“Let’s not think about that, you look much better now. You look healthy, which means Cloud and Leon did their job right,” Axel said. 

“Their job?” Sora asked.  

“Cloud and Leon used to be part of this foundation where they helped troubled teens get back on their feet. We figured they were the best people to take you to,” Roxas explained. 

“You mean....they’ve had kids like me...before?” Sora asked. He was confused. Why would Cloud and Leon willingly help kids like him? 

“Well, not exactly like you” Axel said slowly, deciding on his words, “Most, well, all of their cases were teen runaways, drug addicts, alcoholics, or just kids with bad behavioral problems. They’ve never really dealt with...” Axel trailed off, not exactly sure how to describe Sora’s situation. Sora looked away from them, sensing the uncomfortable mood Axel had shown trying to talk about his situation. He supposed he couldn’t blame the red head. Even though Cloud and Leon have banned him from saying it, he was still a slut. Nobody helps a slut, especially not him. Why would they? He wasn’t worth anything beyond his body.  

“They haven’t annoyed you with all their lovey dovey bullshit, have they?” Demyx asked, changing the subject. Sora didn’t look at them, but he answered.  

“Not really. I sometimes forget they’re married. They spend a lot of their time cooking, sleeping, or checking up on me. I don’t even think I’ve heard them had sex,” Sora said, then he jumped slightly when the three boys across from him began laughing uncontrollably.  

“My god! That was the best comment ever!” Axel said, doubled over. Roxas had his head in his hands, his shoulder jerking from laughing so hard, and Demyx was wiping his tears. Sora didn’t see what was so funny. He waited patiently for the three boys to quiet down, as he wasn’t quite ready for the volume that their laughs triggered. Cloud came into the room at that moment, carrying a few bottles of soda.  

“And what, pray tell, is so funny?” Cloud asked, setting the bottles down on the table. 

“I don’t know, they just started laughing,” Sora said, completely serious.  

“It’s-ha-it's all good. Sora just confirmed your sex life is all,” Roxas said in between laughs. They were starting to calm down.  

“I’m going to ignore that” Cloud said, “Sora, do you want a soda?” 

“What’s in it?” Sora asked. Demyx, Axel and Roxas stopped laughing finally. 

“You haven’t tried one? I thought I put some in your refrigerator upstairs,” Cloud asked. 

“You did but I didn’t open them. I don’t know what’s in them and I wasn’t allowed to have it. Sorry” Sora said sadly, “Old habits die hard.” He took the bottle from Cloud’s hand and cautiously opened it. He froze when the bottle fizzed when he twisted the cap. 

“What was that?” Sora asked. 

“That was the air you just released,” Axel said, grabbing one of the bottles on the table, “Don’t worry, that just means it’ll taste fresh.” 

Sora twisted the cap off all the way watched the bubbles in the bottle pop for a moment before slowly raising it to his lips to take a sip. He swallowed a gulp and his face cringed up and shook his head.  

“That’s...very...strong,” Sora said when he was able to breathe again.  

“It’s less intimidating the more you drink it. Does it taste good though?” Roxas asked. Sora nodded, but he didn’t look too convinced on finishing the bottle. Demyx opened his own soda as did Roxas, and Cloud ruffled Sora’s hair lightly before returning to the kitchen, deciding that everything was okay again. Sora put his bottle on the table, debating on whether that acid liquid was worth it.  

 

_A Hotel in Sacramento:_  

Ventus sat on the queen-sized sofa in the lobby. His dad was over to his left on the phone with a customer and his mom was on her laptop, frantically typing away on one of her many client cases. Ventus had been sitting there for the past hour on his own phone, trying to decide whether to make up an excuse to go back home. Even in their damn eyesight, they still forgot he existed. Just when he was about to get up and book his ticket home early, his mom shut down her laptop and looked up with a smile.  

“Sorry about that, sweetie. But you know how it is. How are you?” His mom asked. They were now waiting for his father to get off the phone so they could go eat at this restaurant that his dad wouldn’t stop talking about. 

“I’m good, mom. You?” Ventus asked. He felt like he was talking to a stranger.  

“Always busy. Are you doing good in school? Sorry I forgot to call you on your first day like I normally do, I had a client who was insistent that I “stay away from technology” whilst in his presence,” his mom explained. 

“It’s okay” Ventus said, after all it wasn’t the first time she had done it, “School is okay. I’m passing.” 

“Good, that’s important. How Vanitas?” his mom asked. Ventus opened his mouth and then closed it again. He honestly wasn’t sure how to answer that question because he wasn’t sure himself. One minute, Vanitas was mad at him for being himself and the next he had ended up kissing him in the car. Ventus wasn’t exactly sure of what to make of that. Did Vanitas actually like him? Why else would he do that? 

“Vanitas is...fine,” Ventus decided on. It’s not like his mom was going to remember anything important he said anyway. Her clients came first.  

“Alright! Who’s ready to eat?” his father said suddenly, putting his phone in his pocket. Ventus knew it wouldn’t stay there long. Ventus got up along with his mother and they all filed into the car outside.  

“It’s good to see you, Ventus. How’s school?” his dad asked. Ventus forced back his sigh. Was his dad really going to ask the very same questions his mom did? 

“School is fine. I’m passing,” Ventus repeated. 

“Good, that’s important” his father said. Ventus shook his head. If they were really paying attention to his studies, they would’ve known that he was currently failing Chemistry.  

“Sweetheart, what are those wristbands you’re wearing? They’re so tacky,” his mom commented.  

“Mom! I like them, they’re comfy,” Ventus said, moving his right hand as his mom tried to take it off. 

“Honey, they do nothing for your skin complexion. Couldn’t you wear like a watch or something?” his mom complained. 

“Mom, they’re fine. Don’t tell me how to accessorize,” Ventus snapped.  

“Don’t speak to your mother like that,” his dad said sternly. Ventus looked away from his mom, already regretting this trip more and more. 

“Sorry,” Ventus said at last.  

“Are you okay? Is this that teen adolescence thing? I read about it for one of my clients,” His mom said. 

“What? No! No, I’m fine, really. I guess I’m still cranky from jet lag is all,” Ventus said. 

“That’s okay, I have some pills you can take that’ll take care of that tonight,” his father said. The car stopped and they got out. Ventus looked up at the restaurant they pulled in front of and it clearly spelled “HIGH CLASS” with its valet parking, pearly black paint, its red carpet entrance, and its water fountain. Now Ventus understood why his mom didn’t like his wristbands, but that didn’t mean he was taking them off.  

They sat down in the upstairs section of the restaurant Ventus had to admit that the smell coming from the kitchen was making him hungry.  

“This place has the best food,” His father said as they sat down. Ventus’s mom was currently texting somebody and almost missed sitting in her chair because of it.  

“So how’s the show coming along?” his dad asked, even though he already had his phone out. Ventus raised an eyebrow in confusion. 

“What show?” Ventus asked. 

“The show you’re doing. What’s it called again? It was a Shakespeare production, right?” His dad asked.  

“You mean Macbeth?!” Ventus said. 

“Sh! Honey, you’re a little loud,” His mom said, not even looking up from her phone. 

“Yeah, Macbeth. How was that?” his dad asked, putting his phone back in his pocket. Ventus was honestly stunned. He knew his parents didn’t pay attention to him but Macbeth was fucking seven months ago!  

“The show...was fine,” Ventus settled, his inner rage fuming but he decided to leave it. The waiter came to take their order and almost immediately after the waiter left, his dad’s cell phone started ringing. 

“I’ve got to take this, I’ll be right back,” his dad excused himself before walking downstairs.  

“That man should get his phone glued to his head, I swear,” his mom chuckled. Ventus would’ve found it funny if it wasn’t for the fact that that comment could also be directed towards herself as well.  

“Mom, when are you guys coming home?” Ventus asked. The only time they paid attention to him was when they were home.  

“Soon, sweetheart. The business is booming over here. We just want to make sure it stays that way,” his mom answered. 

“But can’t you just get your secretary to monitor it?” Ventus asked. His mom sighed. 

“Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. If you want something done, you have to do it yourself. Secretaries only do so much before it’s out of their paycheck,” his mom replied.  

“But mom, I mis-” 

“Oh! Hang on, honey, I’ve been waiting for this call!” His mom suddenly jumped up, excusing herself as she too went downstairs. Ventus took a sip from his glass of water, holding back the tears that always seemed to try and break through whenever he was with his family. He took out his phone and text Vanitas.  

_Ventus_ _: I seriously don’t know why I keep visiting these people._  

_Vanitas: At least you can get away with shit and they won’t know._  

_Ventus_ _: They asked how Macbeth went._  

_Vanitas: Ha!_  

_Ventus_ _: That’s not funny._  

_Vanitas: Don’t get all moody with me. Not for it. You can always just leave._ Sure they _wouldn’t even bat an eyelash._  

Ventus put his phone back in his pocket. Vanitas was no help at all. In fact, he was being rather mean considering what had happened in his car, but Vanitas was always mean so this wasn’t new. Ventus began scratching his wrists, biting the inside of his cheek. The waiter suddenly came up to him. 

“Hello. I have a message for you,” the waiter said, and he looked rather uncomfortable to give him the letter. Ventus took the letter from him. 

Ventus, 

_Something came up at the office. Your mother and I will meet you back at the hotel._  

“They said you’re free to order whatever you want,” the waiter added. Ventus tore the letter in half and threw it on the table. He wasn’t hungry anymore. 

“Don’t bother,” Ventus said, getting up and leaving. His parents had left the car for him to take back since he had his license, but Ventus ignored it and walked it back instead. If he drove, he would’ve crashed the car out of anger. His phone buzzed and he assumed it was Vanitas, but he silenced it and shut his phone off.   

 

_Sorry for the delay! I got busy with my job and then I got really lazy in writing this chapter. But as I said, I write when I’m inspired and when I know what I want in a chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter,_ _Ventus_ _confronts Vanitas about that kiss, and Axel causes a backlash for Sora. Stay tuned! Poof!_  

   


	9. It Didn't Happen

It Didn’t Happen

_Again, I do not own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or_ _FinalFantasy_ _. If I did,_ _Kairi_ _would’ve died long ago lol_

Cloud and Leon were very relieved that Sora had warmed up, even if only a bit, to Roxas, Demyx and Axel. By the time the boys left, Sora was actually a little sad to see them go. Cloud figured it was successful because the boys were closer to his age. And all three of them had followed the rules, which made Cloud and Leon more relaxed. While Sora mostly kept to the armchair sofa he resided in that night, it was still good that he at least sat in their presence for a good four hours. Sora was no currently upstairs, pulling his blinds closed when Cloud walked in. 

“I assume you enjoyed yourself today?” Cloud asked, sitting on the bed. Leon had left to go drop off the boys. 

“I guess so. They’re a little...lot, but I like them,” Sora said, sitting on the bed as well and putting his pillow in his lap. 

“Do you still feel like you were being judged?” Cloud asked.

“Well...not in a negative way. They seemed...happy to see me. I haven’t seen that in a while that wasn’t in a sinister manner,” Sora said. 

“Well that’s good. There’s leftovers in the fridge if you get hungry again. Goodnight,” Cloud said, getting up. 

“Cloud?” Sora called when he got to the door. 

“Hm?”

“Can I...Is it okay if I see them again?” Sora asked. Cloud smiled. 

“Of course,” Cloud said before he closed the door. Sora had finally managed to be okay with his door being closed once he realized that his door didn’t have a lock on it (Leon took it off two days after Sora got there). Cloud let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding as he walked back downstairs to clean up the mess the boys had left in his living room. 

_The Next Week_

While Ventus hated being in school for so many hours of the day, he very much enjoyed this a lot better than being in the presence of his parents. They hadn’t even driven him to the airport when he had left that day and Ventus was pretty sure they didn’t even know when he left at all. He would’ve asked Vanitas to pick him up but he was still a little mad at him for being distant during that conversation they had through text. However, that anger vanished immediately when he remembered that Vanitas had kissed him before he left, and a blush rose to his cheeks before he could stop it. He hid behind his history book as he waited for bell to ring. This was the only class where he didn’t have any of his friends with him, including Vanitas, and he loathed it tremendously. Half hour later when it rang for lunch, he sped out of there. 

Ventus paused for a moment when he entered the cafeteria and found Vanitas sitting at their table. Vanitas was never there before everyone else, when he was there at all, and Ventus didn’t quite know what to make of it. Already having packed his lunch, he walked to the table and sat down next to Vanitas, who was on his phone, texting away.

“Who are you texting in such a hurry?” Ventus asked. 

“The dumbass who unfortunately decided to double cross me couple of days ago. Just letting him know that he should start counting his days,” Vanitas said.

“That’s scary,” Ventus said. 

“How were the folks?” Vanitas asked, not looking at him. 

“Distant as usual. No difference from before,” Ventus said. 

“Sorry about my texts during that. You caught me at a bad time and I wasn’t in the mood,” Vanitas said. Ventus perked up a little at that. At least Vanitas realized that he had hurt his feelings. Vanitas hardly ever apologized, so Ventus supposed he could forgive him for his bad attitude.

“It’s okay” Ventus said, although he wished Vanitas was looking at him, “Um, Vanitas, are we going to talk about-”

“Salt and Pepper! Hello!” Axel’s voice came from in front of the table before his lunch tray was slammed onto the table. Ventus looked up and saw the pyro along with Roxas and Demyx take their seats at the table. 

“Hi,” Ventus said. 

“You guys have been pretty incognito, where you’ve been this past week?” Vanitas asked, finally putting his phone away. Ventus felt a little envious that they could get Vanitas’s attention and he couldn’t.

“With our new friend,” Demyx said as if it was obvious. Vanitas rolled his eyes and Ventus just nodded. He recalled Roxas telling him about the kid who they kidnapped was doing better and they’ve been over Cloud and Leon’s house every day for the past week just to hang out with him. Axel still claimed that the kid looked like the angel version of Vanitas, which still pissed Vanitas off quite a bit. 

“Do we get to meet this new friend?” Ventus asked.

“Probably not for a while. Or after Vanitas gets baptized,” Roxas smirked.

“Ha ha,” Vanitas faked a laugh.

“In all seriousness, it’s not up to us. Cloud and Leon have to decide if he can handle more people,” Axel explained.

“Handle more people? What is he, a basket case?” Vanitas asked, confused.

“No, he’s just...a little weary of people,” Axel said.

“Basket case,” Vanitas decided, stealing an apple slice from Ventus’s bag. Ventus never understood why Vanitas never actually bought his own lunch.  

“Hey, hey, hey, don’t mock him. He’s chill,” Demyx said. 

“Yeah, he’s been through a lot that he won’t even tell us about,” Roxas chimed in. 

“And so have I, and I’m not a basket case,” Ventus said. 

“Can we stop calling him a basket case?” Axel asked, causing everyone, even Vanitas, to start laughing. 

_That Friday Evening_

“Guys, for all that is sacred, please do not burn my house down,” Cloud urged as he stood at the kitchen entrance. Roxas, Demyx, Axel and Sora were currently in the kitchen, supposedly making dinner. Well, it was mostly Roxas and Demyx. Axel was just being annoying pretending to actually be helpful and Sora was just sitting at the table, not comfortable with handling the cutting utensils or being near the stove. They were making spaghetti. 

“Cloud, your house is going to survive. Go fuck Leon, we will call you later,” Axel said. 

“Language!” Cloud exclaimed, though his cheeks were slightly tinged now, “Leon and I will be in the living room so don’t do anything stupid. And Roxas?”

“Yes?” Roxas asked. 

“Tell Axel to keep his hands to himself,” Cloud said before leaving. Roxas shrugged his shoulders, knowing telling Axel that was completely useless. Axel found Roxas cooking always sexy but maybe he won’t go on his instincts because of Sora being in his presence. 

“Do you guys actually know how to make spaghetti?” Sora asked from the table. He felt bad for not helping but the three boys insisted it was fine. 

“Demyx and I know how to make spaghetti. Axel is here for moral support,” Roxas replied as he put some more noodles into the pot of boiling water. Demyx was busy seasoning the ground beef as Axel gave him the proper seasonings, believing that Demyx didn’t know how to season anything beyond salt and pepper. 

“You’re not allergic to anything, are you, Sora?” Roxas asked.

“Not that I know of. I broke out in hives once eating an orange, does that count?” Sora asked. 

“I think that counts. But lucky for you, there’s no place for oranges in spaghetti,” Roxas laughed as he diced up the green peppers. Sora got up and moved towards Roxas, interested in seeing what he was doing but staying a good distance from the knife. 

“I don’t mean to probe, but um...how long have you and Axel been dating?” Sora asked. He was actually curious as to how these two ended up together. 

“Honestly, I lost track, but I think we’re on a year and a half?” Roxas guessed. 

“How did he...ask you out?” Sora asked more to himself than to Roxas. He slightly forgot the consensual way to be with someone. 

“I asked him actually. Well, more of made him. I don’t know how you take it. Whatever you call jumping someone at a party and kissing them,” Roxas smiled. Sora chuckled. Axel and Roxas seemed like the type of people to do that, but then again Roxas could always be overexaggerating what actually happened. 

“Did you guys...?” Sora wasn’t sure how to ask the next question but Roxas seemed to pick up on what he was asking. Normally, Roxas didn’t like talking this much about his relationship because it honestly wasn’t people’s business. But he was fine talking about it to Sora. Who was going to gossip to? Cloud and Leon? Who already knew everything? Except for the fact that they fucked in their bed once? 

“Yup. Don’t ask how many times though, definitely lost track of that” Roxas said, “Why do you ask?” 

He noticed that Sora had looked around before coming back to him, almost as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear his next question. 

“Does it still hurt?” Sora asked. 

“Does what still hurt?” Roxas asked as he actually stopped cutting the garlic he had started. His eyes widened once he realized what Sora was talking about, and he didn’t know if he should’ve been offended or not that Sora assumed he was bottom.

“Not anymore,” Roxas said slowly. Sora nodded, but it seemed he was nodding more to himself than to Roxas.

“That’s what I assumed,” Sora half mumbled. He knew it wasn’t supposed to hurt after some time. Which just added more salt to his past wounds because that meant that that man had purposely made it hurt every single time. His life really was pitiful. 

“What are you two hushed up about over here?” Axel asked, coming up behind Roxas.

“None of your business. Didn’t Cloud tell you to keep your hands to yourself?” Roxas said, pushing Axel away from him even though Axel didn’t even move. 

“You tell me that all the time and that never gets you anywhere. What makes you think I’m going to listen to Cloud?” Axel said. Sora smiled at Axel’s remark and leaned back against the counter. Nobody was paying attention to the boiling pot of noodles. It was beginning to boil over and just as Sora leaned back too close to it (close enough to burn him), Axel caught sight of the burning pot. 

“Sora, watch out!” Axel called. He acted faster than Roxas did, and grabbed Sora roughly by the wrist, pulling him from the splash of hot water that came out from the stove. 

“Whoa!” Demyx exclaimed, turning off the stove immediately. 

“What did you guys do?” Leon asked, coming into the kitchen, Cloud right behind him. 

“Pot boiled over. But nobody’s hurt,” Demyx said calmly. 

“Sora, you okay?” Roxas asked, “Sora?”

Axel had let go of Sora’s wrist the second after pulling him from away from the stove, but Sora hadn’t moved from the spot he had been dragged to. His arm was still in its outstretched position Axel had dragged it to. He was absolutely stock still and his eyes were wide with a fear only he seemed to see. He began to shake slightly and Cloud came over immediately. 

“Sora, what’s wrong?” Cloud asked. He placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder and immediately retracted it when Sora jumped with a shout.

“Don’t touch me!” Sora yelled in fright. He backed away from Cloud, from everyone actually, ad he sank down to the floor in the corner that connected the counters. 

“Don’t-Don’t touch me!” Sora repeated, although no one was sure if he was even talking to any of them anymore. 

“Boys, go to the living room. Now,” Leon instructed. It took a moment for them to actually move, but they did very slowly, clearly shocked by Sora’s change of behavior. 

“Axel, what happened?” Roxas asked as they left the kitchen.

“I don’t know. The damn water was about to splash him and it was boiling hot so I pulled him out of the way,” Axel said.

“Oh, Axel!” Roxas whined.

“What?” Axel asked.

“Leon’s rules! He said don’t grab him without warning!” Roxas said. Axel crunched his eyes together as he let out a slew of curse words for his own stupidity. 

“Fuck shit, I wasn’t thinking about that! I just didn’t want the kid to get burned!” Axel defended himself. 

“Is he okay?” Roxas asked, looking towards the kitchen. He could only vaguely hear Cloud talking to Sora but he couldn’t make out anything that was being said. Leon walked back into the living room, running a hand through his hair. 

“Everything okay? Do I need to leave?” Axel asked. He felt completely responsible for what just occurred. 

“What? No...um...what happened?” Leon asked. 

“The water was boiling over and it was about to burn Sora’s backside. I pulled him out of the way but I guess that wasn’t the smartest idea,” Axel said, “I forgot about the house rules.”

“You were thinking of his safety, it’s not your fault” Leon said, “I’d rather he not get burned. He’ll be fine, Cloud is talking to him. Just give him some space.” 

The four of them sat down on the couch. 

“Does that happen often?” Roxas asked. They were there every day this week and this was the first time they had seen Sora do this. 

“Normally it’s only when he’s sleeping. He gets nightmares. We haven’t had a conscious incident in a while,” Leon replied. 

“Listen, I’m really sorry about that,” Axel said. 

“Axel, don’t worry, it’s not your fault” Leon said, “I had a feeling something like this was going to happen at some point. It was going a little too well.” 

“Wow, way to look on the bright side,” Demyx said. 

“Sora still has a lot of...healing to do” Leon said, more to himself, “But he should be fine in a few minutes. The only reason we added that rule was because I accidentally did the same thing Axel did weeks ago. I grabbed him when he was about to fall down the railing and he freaked out on me.”

“Good to know I’m not the only one,” Axel said with a solemn tone. Cloud suddenly came out the kitchen and Leon stood up. 

“Everything good?” Leon asked. 

“Yeah. He’s still a bit shaken, but he’s fine. He’s not mad at you by the way, Axel. You spooked him but he doesn’t hate you,” Cloud said. 

“Okay...that makes me feel a lot better,” Axel said, and it truly did. He was really afraid that he had done some irreversible damage to the kid, especially after how hard Leon and Cloud had worked to get him to this point already. 

“He’s going to go upstairs for the night though. He looks exhausted,” Cloud informed Leon. It was partially a lie, as Cloud was also aware that Sora was most likely embarrassed by his actions and didn’t want anyone to be near him at the moment. Just as he said that, Sora had quietly come from the kitchen and was up the stairs before anyone even realized that he had come out of the kitchen to begin with. They heard his door close and Cloud sighed. He wondered if the boys were going to finish cooking. 

_Earlier that Day:_ _Ventus’s_ _Room_

“I’m telling you right now. Mr. Irn gives us one more group or partner assignment, I’m personally going to murder him,” Vanitas said, adding another notecard to the pile in the middle. He and Ventus were currently at Ventus’s house in his room, trying to figure out how to put together this crafting project that the new art teacher assigned. All the notecards in the middle were ideas that were rejected. They were both sitting on the floor as Ventus’s bed was currently occupied by all the laundry he forgot to do in the past week. 

“Um, Vanitas?” Ventus asked. 

“What?” Vanitas said, picking up a new notecard.

“Are we...going to talk about what happened? At the airport?” Ventus asked. It had been bugging him it happened, and he needed to know where they stood after that. He couldn’t guess on things like that with Vanitas, not after he got rejected the first time. Vanitas paused in his writing for a second, but only for a second before he continued. 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Vanitas said, folding his notecard and putting it in the maybe pile. 

“Nothing to talk about? But you-”

“Ven, do me a favor and pretend it never happened, okay?” Vanitas asked, not looking at him. 

“What? Why?!” Ventus asked. 

“Because I didn’t mean anything by it. You were pissing me off with your moodiness,” Vanitas said, trying to dismiss the topic.  

“So your way of solving that was by kissing me?” Ventus asked, getting angry.  

“Look, I didn’t want you going to your parents looking like the depressed asshole you’ve become currently and I didn’t want you being mad at me because of what I said to you in the car. I figured it would at least put you in a better mood for a little while. Besides, it’s not like you would’ve objected to it,” Vanitas said. 

“You kissed me...to make me  _feel_ better?” Ventus asked, really processing what Vanitas had just said. Did Vanitas really just say that? 

“It was the first thought that came to my mind. It didn’t mean anything,” Vanitas said. 

“A fucking hug would’ve sufficed you fucking asshole!” Ventus yelled, standing up. 

“Why are you upset?” Vanitas asked. He was getting tired of Ventus, really quickly. The kid had been acting distant, and now he wants to yell at him?

“Why am I upset?! You literally used my own feelings against me just because you didn’t want to feel guilty all week for berating me in the car! Of course I’m upset!” Ventus yelled. 

“I didn’t use your feelings against you!” Vanitas said angrily, standing up as well.

“Yes, you did! Vanitas, you  **know** how I feel about you! Why would you do that?! That is such a shitty thing to do!” Ventus said. 

“No, what’s shitty is the fact that you still even  **have** feelings for me! Is this what all this depressive shit is about?” Vanitas asked.

“I’m not depressed!” Ventus said. 

“You’re not exactly okay, either! What is your problem?!” Vanitas asked. 

“Yeah, because that’s how you ask someone if they’re okay. You’re the problem, right now,” Ventus huffed. 

“Then let me fix the problem” Vanitas growled, and he stomped over and grabbed Ventus by the shoulders and looked him straight in the face, “Ventus, I don’t like you the way you like me. I will never like you the way you like me. Get. Over. Your Damn. Feelings. Is that clear enough to you this time?”

“Get out,” Ventus said, avoiding looking at him. He absolutely refused to let Vanitas see him cry. Vanitas pushed him away, grabbed his bag, and stormed out his house. It was only when Ventus heard his car screech off did he break down on the floor. 

_And that’s it for now! Too bad for_ _VenVan_ _, they were doing so well! And poor Sora too! He was doing so well as well. Oh well. That’s a lot of wells. Stay tuned! Next chapter, the boys spend the night over Cloud and Leon’s place, and_ _Ventus_ _and Vanitas finally meet Sora! Poof!_


	10. Night Terror Company

Night Terror Company

_As Usual, I don’t own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This fic just for fun._

“Please tell me someone understood that damn math assignment from last night?” Demyx asked as he slumped against the locker next door to Roxas and Axel. 

“Dem, I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who didn’t. As always,” Roxas said. 

“Let’s be fair now, you had to help me with the last portion,” Axel pointed out.

“Yeah, but Demyx is talking about the entire assignment, not just the last part,” Roxas said. 

“I tried,” Axel said, shrugging at Demyx. He looked down the hallway and when his eyes caught sight of Ventus, he grinned. 

“Hey, it’s Mr. Salt! Where the hell have you been?” Axel called.

“Hi to you too, Axel,” Ventus rolled his eyes. 

“Seriously, where have you been?” Axel asked again. It was Thursday, and the gang noticed that Ventus had been absent since Monday morning.

“I was sick. Allergies got the better of me and it made me sick,” Ventus said as if it was obvious. It wasn’t entirely a lie. Ventus had gotten sick a day after Vanitas had left, but it was only a few coughs and runny noses. But Ventus had actually stayed at home for three days because after kicking Vanitas out of his house, he couldn’t handle seeing him in school after that. He took a few days to compose himself. Those three days weren’t his greatest moments by far. 

“You’re always sick, your immune system is shot, dude” Roxas said as Ventus waved him off, “Oh my god! Ventus! Your hand!” On Ventus’s right hand wasn’t his signature wristband. Instead, it was a dark blue bandage wrap starting at his hand and ending a bit past his wrist. 

“Calm down, no need for alarm,” Ventus said. 

“Dude, what the hell did you do?!” Demyx asked. 

“You mean what my neighbor’s beast did. The fucker somehow got into my backyard the other day and attacked me when I went to empty the trash,” Ventus said bitterly. 

“Um, don’t they get put to sleep for attacking people?” Axel asked. 

“No because I didn’t want to press charges. I’m not going to have a guilty conscious of knowing I was the reason a dog got put down,” Ventus said. 

“Well you and your injured wrist can suck it, because I’m not carrying your bags around for you,” came Vanitas voice from the side, making almost everyone jump. 

“The fuck! Dude, don’t do that!” Roxas complained. 

“You’re alive,” Vanitas said. The bell rang and as everyone went to go there separate ways for class, Vanitas grabbed Ventus’s good wrist, holding him back. 

“What?” Ventus asked, completely confused. 

“Nobody stays at home over a dog bite. What have you really been up to?” Vanitas asked, eyeing him. 

“You missed the first part. I was sick. That and I was working out my feelings over you. No big deal. So drop it,” Ventus said, yanking his arm back and walking away. He was telling the truth, he was working out for his feelings over Vanitas. Was he completely over Vanitas? Not by a long shot, but since Vanitas was making it obviously clear that he harbored no similar feelings, the best Ventus could do was calm himself down by staying away from him for those few days. It still wasn’t his smartest idea. Almost the second he came into eye contact with Vanitas, the damn feeling reemerged quicker than he expected, and he scratched his good wrist from the initial shock of it. He needed to move on, and he knew that. But that didn’t mean he wanted to. 

_After School_

Sora was watching Hey Arnold by the time Axel, Demyx and Roxas walked in the house.

“Hey Sora,” Roxas said, immediately dropping his bag and plopping down on the couch next to Sora, who waved in response as he currently had a smoothie in his hand was drinking from the straw. 

“Where’d you get the smoothie from?” Demyx asked, slightly jealous.

“Cloud made it earlier,” Sora responded after he swallowed. 

“Where is Cloud and Leon?” Axel asked, plopping next to Roxas.

“Cloud went out food shopping and Leon is upstairs sleeping, I think,” Sora said. 

“Yo, what’s up with you and Hey Arnold? Everytime we come over here, that’s what you’re watching,” Axel said. 

“I don’t know. I just like it” Sora said with a hint of hurt in his voice. He was afraid Axel was judging him and it didn’t sit well with him, “It gives me a sort of familiar feeling that I can’t explain. And Helga is very entertaining.” 

“Did Cloud make any more of what you’re drinking?” Demyx called from the kitchen, clearly inspecting it for more smoothie. Sora didn’t answer him, but his laughter was enough for Demyx to figure out that there wasn’t any. It made Sora smile on the inside. He wished he could remember things like this, hanging out with friends or family, drinking smoothies that weren’t drugged, or just being around well people. If he had any of those things actually happen. Not being able to remember anything before his torment, it brought a little joy to him to be in this type of environment. But there was always that nagging fear in the back of his head that this was all somehow a dream and he was going to wake up tied naked to that bed. It would be the cruelest punishment he could ever receive. 

Leon had woken up at some point when Cloud came home, and after they had cooked dinner and had dessert (smoothies to Demyx’s delight), it was time for what Cloud and Leon called “leave them alone for the night and attempt to go to sleep at some point.” It was the first time that the boys were sleeping over, and it was actually Sora who had asked Cloud and Leon if they could. He didn’t tell them that he soon almost regretted it, realizing that if they spent the night that meant they would witness his nightmares no doubt, and he knew they were going to judge him for it if Axel’s comment on the tv show earlier was anything to go by. He did want them to spend the night, but he just wished that he was normal enough to actually enjoy it. He had been hiding his fear of it all night, and only prayed that they were all really hard sleepers who wouldn’t wake up because of him. As everyone started laying out their blankets and pillows, it suddenly dawned on Sora that he was supposed to be sleeping downstairs with them and not in his bedroom.

And that didn’t sit well with him at all.

He had gotten used to sleeping in that room, even if it didn’t soothe his nightmares. But going to sleep downstairs was one thing, but if he woke up and wasn’t in his room he knew he would freak out. It wasn’t anything personal to the boys, he just knew where his brain was going to go if he woke up in a different place. 

“Um, I know...this isn’t the best time to ask...but do you guys mind if I just go upstairs and sleep in my own room?” Sora asked. 

“Dude, you live here, not us. Of course it’s fine,” Roxas said. 

“Don’t like the couch too much?” Axel laughed. 

“What?...No, oh, it’s just-“

“Sora, I’m kidding, Im kidding. Go upstairs. We’ll see you in the morning,” Axel waved it off. Sora silently let out a sigh of relief. At least if they were downstairs, they wouldn’t have to witness him at such an ashamed state. Sora apologized anyway and went upstairs to turn in for the night, and as he got into the covers, he kept reminding himself that if he heard any noises, it was just the three boys downstairs, and it wasn’t that man coming back for him. His fingers ghosted over the red button that was attached to the wall over his bedside. It was a new gadget Leon had installed into his room. When he had a nightmare and if Cloud and Leon didn’t wake him up, he would either hit the button in his sleep or he would wake up and hit it before the hypnosis began to take its toll on him. It gave Sora a bit of comfort, knowing help was only a button away. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on sleep, praying for a peaceful night. 

_3 A.M_

Axel was never more grateful for anything in his life, but the only thing he was truly grateful for was that Roxas was a heavy sleeper. So heavy in fact that he wasn’t even aware that Axel had gotten his nightshirt off and was currently playing with his nipples, one with his fingers and the other one with his mouth. Roxas was slightly moaning in his sleep but he didn’t show any signs of waking up. He and Axel hadn’t had sex since they started spending more time with Sora, and Axel had been deprived long enough. He lightly bit on the blonde’s hardened nipple and marveled in the cute tiny moans and shortness of breath that was coming from Roxas’s mouth. He began working on the blonde’s pajama pants when he suddenly heard another moan but it wasn’t from Roxas. He stopped his torment on his boyfriend for a moment. Axel had the hearing of a dog as Vanitas so nicely put it. He listened for another moment before he decided that maybe it was Roxas and continued his quest. But again, when he grabbed the sides of the pants he heard it again. Axel quickly realized that it must’ve been Sora, and he was probably in the middle of one of those nightmares Cloud and Leon had warned them about. His hard on totally gone now, he woke up Roxas. 

“Roxas. Roxas! Rox, get up,” Axel said, shaking him. Roxas stirred for a moment before opening his eyes. 

“Axel, what the fuck do you want?” Roxas asked angrily.

“I hear moaning upstairs. I think Sora’s having a nightmare,” Axel pointed out. Another groan came out from upstairs and Roxas looked towards the stairwell. 

“Should we go wake him up?”Axel asked. 

“I think we should. Cloud said he doesn’t have two nightmares in the same night. Maybe we can wake him before it gets really bad,” Roxas said. Deciding to leave Demyx behind, Axel and Roxas carefully stood up, and it was only then that Roxas noticed his missing shirt on the couch.

“What the hell is my shirt doing on the couch?” Roxas asked before the obvious answer popped into his head, “Axel, I swear to God-”

“Sh!” Axel said. Roxas stared daggers into his back as he threw his shirt back on. He wasn’t entirely sure what Axel had done, but he knew he was the precise cause as to why his shirt was missing from his body. 

They quietly crept up the stairs, avoiding the creaky one that was the fourth one from the top. The only reason Axel knew it was the creaky one was due to his multiple pranks of catching Cloud and Leon in the act of sex while they weren’t paying attention. While it would’ve been great if that’s what was those noises were, it was very obvious that the sounds were coming from Sora’s bedroom down the hall. They walked to his bedroom and carefully opened the door. 

_Sora was clamped to the wall, his arms extremely uncomfortable from the angle they were placed in above his head but he was doing his best to ignore the pain. His feet could touch the floor which took away some of the pain, but he knew it was only a matter of time before that luxury was taken away. The man was currently going through the drawer, deciding what he would use to punish him today._

_“Remind to get you some new toys” the man said, “I’m growing bored with this collection. But I’ll deal with it for the moment.” He decided on two items and pulled them up out of the dresser. One was the fisted phallus and the other one was a cock ring. Sora’s eyes widened at the phallus, as the man only used that thing if Sora did something wrong and he was confused._

_“What did I...?” Sora couldn’t even finish his sentence._

_“Hm?” The man said, “Oh, don’t give me that confused look, you know you’re in trouble. Remember breakfast this morning? When you oh so nicely decided to throw up all of its contents on my chest? If you thought your spanking after that was the punishment, I’m afraid you’re in for a night then.”_

_Sora felt what little blood was in his cheeks rush to the pit of his stomach in fear. He had thought the spanking was his punishment. But how was he not to throw up? The man had forced it down his throat when he couldn’t eat it this morning and then immediately demanded he ride him after consuming the drugged contents. His stomach couldn’t take_ _it and he ended up puking all over him when the man pulled on his cock._

_“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please!” Sora begged._

_“Please? Look at you, begging to be filled,” the man laughed as he walked over with the two objects in his hand. He put them both on the table next to Sora and gripped Sora’s face roughly._

_“What are you?” he asked._

_“A slut,” Sora answered automatically. The quicker they went through this the quicker he could cry himself to sleep. Why must this man drag everything out?_

_“Don’t forget it,” the man smiled before smashing their lips together, biting on Sora’s bottom lip. Sora knew better than to fight back at this point, but he would never bring himself to participate and respond to the kiss. His lip hurt too much to do it anyway. He felt the man’s other hand grip his thigh and was lifting his leg, suspending it. He released his lips from the torment._

_“Allow me to demonstrate how much it hurt to see you destroy such a wonderful morning,” the man said. Sora realized with a horrible shudder that he had not properly prepared his bottom, and as he grabbed the phallus off the table, his struggle began_ _anew_ _._

_“Wait! Wait, please! I’ll rip!” Sora cried._

_“That’s not my problem, you practically asked for it,” the man said calmly as he lifted Sora’s other leg and strapped it to the wall. Sora didn’t have enough time to process how the hell he did that or where that strap came from before a howl ripped through his throat at the man rammed the phallus straight up his ass, dry and all. Sora tried to take deep breaths, but all of them came out in short gasps as he tried his hardest to adjust to the size of the thing. He felt a tear somewhere inside him, and sure enough, a trickle of blood spilled out onto the floor, but the man hardly cared. He had ripped him before._

_“Don’t think_ _that‘_ _s going to lesson your punishment,” was all he said as he pulled the phallus only halfway out before jamming it back in, setting a deadly pace of thrusting that Sora was too dry to deal with. The man seemed to have forgotten the cock ring, but it didn’t matter. Sora was in so much pain, he doubted he would be able to force out any orgasm from him._

_“What are you?” he asked again._

_“.._ _A slut!” Sora choked out, trying to regain control over his breath and failing miserably._

_“Say it again!” he demanded._

_“Please stop!_ _It_ _hurts!” Sora begged._

_“What are you?” the man asked._

_“Ah! A-A_ _sl_ _-slut!” Sora cried._

_“Say it properly!” he hissed as he continued to ram in the phallus, not even_ _lessing_ _up on the speed._

_“I’m a slut! I’m a slut! Ah! I’m-stop, please!” Sora begged. He could see black in the corners of his eyes and he knew it was only a matter of time before he passed out._

_“Beg me to stop one more time and I'm shoving another one up your ass at the same time,” the man threatened as he continued. He asked Sora to repeat his name again, but Sora was reduced to sobs and jerking, waiting for the unconscious to welcome him. The man slapped him across the face and instead of seeing_ _black like he expected, he saw white._

_“_ Sora, wake up!” Roxas was saying, shaking him hard on the bed. Sora was sweating and writhing and screaming and honestly he and Axel were both shocked Cloud and Leon hadn’t ran in here yet. Axel was slightly keeping Roxas out of harm’s way every time Sora unexpectedly swung out, almost knocking Roxas in the face. Finally, Sora jumped up awake, unfortunately knocking heads with Roxas. Roxas fell back into Axel’s chest as Sora’s head hit the pillow. He barely registered the pain entirely as he half sat back up. 

“R-Roxas? Axel?” Sora asked. 

“Yeah,” Roxas said, still rubbing his head from the impact. While Sora was grateful his nightmare had ended, he was not only embarrassed they had found him in such a state, but he knew what was coming next, and it only made him more ashamed. But the fear of the hypnosis was overriding his feelings right now as he felt the muscles in his bottom begin to tighten. They heard footsteps and suddenly Demyx barged in the room. 

“What’s going on?” Demyx asked.

“Sora had a nightmare but it’s fine now,” Axel said. 

“No, it’s not,” Sora said more to himself than to Axel as he reached over and pressed the red button on his wall. 

“What is that?” Axel asked. Before he got an answer, Sora started sweating again and his face screwed up as he closed his eyes tight. Cloud and Leon came running into the room. 

“Boys, what are you doing here?” Leon asked as Roxas and Axel moved away from the bed as Cloud occupied their space. 

“He was having a nightmare. We woke him up,” Roxas explained. 

“Thank you, but go back downstairs now,” Leon instructed, half pushing them out the room. Before he could actually close the door, Sora let out a horrible scream, and it left all three boys confused. Leon gave them a look that said they will explain later before he closed the door. The boys didn’t go back downstairs, sleep no longer an option. Instead, they waited at the top of the stairs, so confused as they listened to Sora’s yelling and Cloud’s attempts at talking to him, but they couldn’t make out what Cloud was saying. 

“Did we not wake him up?” Roxas asked.

“He said our names, he was clearly awake,” Axel said. 

“Leon did say his nightmares were intense,” Demyx pointed out.

“Yeah, which you have to be asleep for. Trust me, Roxas and I got a good insight on that,” Axel said sadly. He and Roxas had been rather uncomfortably hearing the words that were spilling out of Sora’s mouth as they were trying to wake him up. They couldn’t even imagine what Cloud and Leon went through every night when this happened. But this thing that was happening now was a complete mystery to them. About six more minutes went by before it finally got quieter in Sora’s bedroom, and another minute or so later, Cloud and Leon came out, looking tired but relieved. They noticed the boys at the stairwell. 

“Bed. Now. We will talk in the morning,” was all Leon said before he and Cloud turned and went back to their bedroom. Although the boys were mad they wouldn’t get an answer until morning, it didn’t take much convincing for Demyx to go back to sleep once they got back downstairs. 

“Did we do something wrong? I thought we were supposed to wake him up?” Roxas asked as he and Axel laid back down. 

“Don’t worry about it right now. But they better explain in the morning because that was on another level of something else,” Axel said. Roxas nodded. 

“Oh, wait, Axel,” Roxas said. 

“What?” Axel asked. Then he was met with Roxas’s hand to forehead. 

“Ow!”

“Stop molesting me in my sleep!” 

_Guys, I’m sorry this is so late but things got busy and I got really sick so I couldn’t write for a minute. I know I promised Vanitas and_ _Ventus_ _would meet Sora in this chapter but this chapter got way too long. I PROMISE they will meet Sora in the next chapter, I just wanted to be done with this chapter because it took so long to write it. Next one will come out much quicker, probably sometime before Saturday if I’m lucky. And I apologize if this chapter was a little_ _anticlimatic_ _because I lost my steam the longer I took to write it. But it gets better! This was just a_ _really_ _weird chapter. Stay tuned! Poof!_

   
 


	11. Thicker Than Water

Thicker Than Water

  
_Disclaimer! I do not own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy characters! If I did, Kairi would be dead._

  
        Vanitas didn't know why it bothered him so much at the fact that Ventus seemed completely fine, albeit if you ignored him still not being the same he was last year still. He was still half depressed all the damn time, and Axel still called him Mr. Salt, but what was bothering Vanitas was the fact that Ventus didn't seem to..."need" him, for lack of a better word. Vanitas didn't even notice it at first until Vanitas had stormed off during lunch one day when Axel had brought up that damn kid they had been visiting for the longest time now at Cloud and Leon's. Vanitas got tired of hearing that he was his twin and he stormed out of the cafeteria. After his initial abuse to the stairwell, he noticed that there was a presence missing, and he didn't know whether to be relieved or confused when he realized it was because Ventus hadn't followed him to the stairwell to calm his nerves. As much as Vanitas didn't want his company to begin with when he was angry, he had gotten used to it, even comfortable.   
       It also got weird when Ventus actually started driving his own car to school, which Vanitas assumed he actually never drove just because Vanitas was used to picking him up and dropping him off. His car felt slightly lonely, but he refused to acknowledge anything. It was simply because he was used to a brooding blonde next to him, that was all. He didn't miss him. That was definitely not the case. He pushed him away from himself. If anything, he should feel happy that Ventus became less dependent on him.   
So why did he feel so empty?   
Vanitas was too busy going over his inner thoughts while absent-mindedly chewing on fries at the lunch table to even notice that Roxas had asked him a question until Ventus hit him in the arm.   
"What?" Vanitas asked angrily.   
"I said did you want to see your twin this weekend?" Roxas repeated himself.  
"And why would I want to see my "twin"?" Vanitas asked, clearly annoyed that this was the nickname. It really didn't sit well with him, and he didn't understand why they wouldn't just drop it.   
"Because you should. He really does look like you, it's kind of creepy. Plus, Cloud and Leon haven't seen you or Ventus in a while, and they want to see how you're doing," Roxas explained.   
"Cloud and Leon can kiss my ass. I'm fine," Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, maybe we should go. At least if he doesn't look like you, Axel will finally shut up about it," Ventus offered. While he wasn't too keen on meeting this kid himself, he wanted them to stop referring to this twin thing with Vanitas. He knew why it was bothering him so and his feelings towards Vanitas was making it hard to ignore the fact that this was hurting Vanitas more than he was letting on.   
"Well, I don't want to, so it's a done deal. Ven, you can go, I'm not your mom," Vanitas said.   
"I was going regardless. I just thought you should go too," Ventus said, sipping his drink. Vanitas inwardly twinged at that. There it was again. That "I don't need Vanitas" attitude Ventus was putting on. There's no way Ventus got over his feelings for him that fast. What game was Ventus playing at? Was he trying to give him a taste of his own medicine? It wasn't working, no matter what Vanitas's lower subconscious was telling him.   
"Ventus, you might actually like him," Axel said.   
"How so?" Ventus asked.   
"He's quiet and reserved, although for slightly different reasons. He's had some trouble while you're just boring," Axel laughed before dodging a fry Ventus threw at him.   
"I am not boring. Sorry if I don't consider breaking the law to be fun," Ventus said.   
"Yeah, but you used to be a little more outgoing. Now all you do is hang around Vanitas-"  
"Objection," Vanitas said.   
"And that's confusing in itself because Vanitas is the biggest criminal in this room," Axel continued, ignoring Vanitas's comment. Ventus scratched his good wristband, growing anxious. Vanitas could possibly understand why. This conversation was steering towards the one they had in the car that day when Vanitas decided to ruin everything and kiss him for no reason.   
"So what exactly happened to this kid that makes me boring?" Ventus asked instead, steering the topic away from himself slightly.  
"Not ours to tell, and we don't really know all the details. But it was bad and we left it at that," Demyx replied.   
"You're keeping secrets for the basket case now? You never keep secrets from people," Vanitas said.   
"Yeah but he's a little different. You'll know when you see him. Wait, scratch that, because he might not tell you either. He takes a while to get used to new people," Demyx said. Vanitas rolled his eyes and Ventus sighed, not really the answer he was looking for. But Vanitas definitely had a point about them being all secretive. Roxas was one thing, but Demyx and Axel couldn't keep a secret if you paid them a million dollars. And they've been a little bitchy in defending this kid whenever he or Vanitas made a snide comment about him. What the hell was so special about this kid that he deserved this type of treatment? Where was this treatment before?

 

_Cloud and Leon's House_

  
"Well, what did they say?" Cloud asked. He and Axel were in the basement. Axel was helping Cloud fix the radiator downstairs as it was making a funny noise and Axel was good with mechanics.  
"Not entirely sure if Vanitas is coming but Ven said he'll meet him," Axel replied, holding the flashlight above the opened compartment. They heard laughter from upstairs, coming from Roxas and Sora, and Axel made a slightly annoyed face.

       Ever since that night when he and Roxas had been witness to Soras' nightmares, Roxas had taken it upon himself to make sure Sora was okay, and more than usual. Axel didn't really mind it, as Roxas's intentions were quite clear. He had even explained to Axel during the car ride the day after how concerned he was now about Sora's well being, especially after Leon and Cloud explained to them about the after wake hypnosis. That part made Axel's blood boil. How could someone do that to someone and be completely okay with that? Sora had acted really weird that morning, ashamed about his nightmares and hypnosis and it took all day for them to convince him that they didn't think any different about him because of it. But Roxas had basically made it his personal job to get the closest to Sora, which meant spending less time with Axel.   
Axel was very much the jealous type, there's no way he could deny it. He knew Roxas's intentions were innocent and more out of concern than anything, but that didn't mean that Sora wouldn't take that as another thing. It was hard for Axel to ignore that Sora preferred Roxas sitting next to him on the couch than either him nor Demyx. Or that Sora seemed perfectly fine with Roxas sleeping in his room when they would sleep over. That was killing Axel because he couldn't molest his sexy little boyfriend while he slept anymore. Axel was trying his hardest not to be jealous, he really was, because Sora was completely innocent and so was Roxas, but it was still there nonetheless.   
"Well one out of two ain't bad. We haven't seen those two lately. How are they?" Cloud asked.   
"Vanitas is an asshole as usual and Ventus...well compared to the last time you saw him he's different," Axel said.   
"Different how? He started taking after Vanitas?" Cloud laughed.   
"No, he's just gotten weird. Like he won't do as much fun stuff as he used to, and he's all quiet now. Only person who seems to know what's going on is Vanitas and even Vanitas is a little unhinged by his change of attitude," Axel explained.  
"Maybe his parents always being gone is finally taking a toll on him," Cloud said.   
"He just saw them not too long ago. I think it has to do with Vanitas," Axel said.   
"How so?"  
"Well, it's pretty obvious to everyone that Ventus has it bad for Vanitas, but I think Vanitas turned him down a while ago. It looks like they're together though. They hang out all the time," Axel said.  
"Axel, that doesn't make them a couple. I wouldn't be surprised though, Vanitas had a thing for Ventus," Cloud said.  
"When the hell was this?!" Axel exclaimed. Vanitas never said anything to any of them about having a crush on Ventus.   
"I heard him talking to his friend on the phone one night when he was here last year. He didn't out right say it, but you could tell from what he was saying that he may have had a tiny thing for Ventus. It probably died though. Vanitas doesn't like attachments. He's been like that as long as I can remember," Cloud said.   
"Well that's a bummer for Ventus. He'll live, as depressed as he wants to act," Axel laughed.

 

_Upstairs_

  
"Why is she hiding in there? It's Michael's house, he's going to find her," Roxas complained to the television. Demyx was busy outside talking on the phone with Zexion while he and Sora were in the living room watching Halloween 5. Surprisingly, Sora had a thing for horror films.  
"Maybe if she wasn't breathing so hard he won't notice her," Sora offered, eating popcorn out of the bowl Roxas had made a while ago. The two of them were sitting under a blanket together, although Roxas had chosen to keep his hands above the blanket, in case Sora thought he was going to touch him underneath it.   
"Did she ever once think how she was going to get out of there if he found her?" Roxas said.  
"She's like ten, leave her alone," Sora laughed. In the movie, Michael found her and the little girl, Jamie, fell down the laundry shoot, hitting the bottom with a loud bang.   
"Oh her legs are shot. Hands down," Roxas said.   
"That sounded like it hurt," Sora grimaced. They continued to watch in disbelief as Jamie made it back up the shoot when Michael tried to stab her.   
"The devil is a lie. There's no way she should've been able to climb up," Roxas said.   
"It's a horror movie, they're not going to kill the kid," Sora said. As interesting as this movie was, Sora was getting sleepy fast. By the time the little girl had a moment with Michael, Sora found himself leaning against Roxas's shoulder. Roxas didn't really care, assuming Sora was getting sleepy. He looked tired when they got there and Cloud had explained that Sora had went through a rather horrible nightmare last night and that it actually happened twice. The poor kid was exhausted. By the time the movie ended, Sora actually was asleep.   
"Don't you two look cozy," Axel commented, coming up the stairs with Cloud, having fixed the radiator.  
"Cloud I'm not sure what to do" Roxas said, ignoring Axel, "He fell asleep. I'm scared to move."  
"About time. I was worried he was going to pass out at some point. Here, I got it," Cloud said, moving to help. He held Sora's head up slightly while Roxas scooted away enough for Cloud to let Sora lay all the way down on the couch. Roxas fixed the blanket so that it covered Sora properly.   
"Did he make it through the movie?" Cloud asked.   
"Almost. Fell asleep just before the finale," Roxas said. Cloud nodded and went into the kitchen, presumingly to make dinner. Roxas caught Axel staring at him.  
"Can I help you?" Roxas asked.   
"Nothing," Axel shrugged.  
"Don't give me that bull, I saw your face when you came up here. You have a horrible jealous streak, I hope you know that," Roxas said.   
"I'm not jealous...much," Axel admitted.  
"He could be spending all his time with you if you didn't look so menacing. I look like the nicest out of the three of us," Roxas said.  
"I know but don't overdo it. I think Sora may have a crush on you," Axel warned.   
"No, he doesn't. He's been deprived of proper affection for Lord knows how long. Besides, he's been a little away from you since you grabbed him in the kitchen that day," Roxas pointed out.  
"I apologized for that like several times," Axel whined.  
"Yeah and he's forgiven you but that doesn't mean the feeling went away. I think he's slightly scared of you to be honest," Roxas said, flicking through the channels on TV. That startled Axel. Sora was scared of him? Sora had no need to be scared of him. If anything, Roxas should be scared of Axel, with his non resting libido. But was Sora seriously scared of him because of the kitchen incident? He was going to have to talk to the kid when he woke up.

 

_Vanitas's House_

  
Vanitas was in the middle of his homework when Ventus finally worked up the nerve to call him.  
"What do you want?" Vanitas asked.   
"I thought about it and I think you should meet this kid," Ventus said, getting straight to the point.  
"Why? So you won't feel alone?" Vanitas scoffed.  
"No. Because I think it would provide...I don't know...maybe some relief for you?" Ventus guessed.  
"Relief from what?"  
"Axel calling you his twin."  
"That's not going to relieve me of Axel getting on my damn nerves. He's two more twin mentions away from getting his ass kicked," Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, you're taking your anger out on them, and that's not fair," Ventus said.   
"And since when was I fair?" Vanitas asked.   
"..."  
"Exactly," Vanitas said, "They chose to bother me at the most annoying time."  
"I think 'vulnerable' is more suitable for your situation," Ventus said.   
"Don't do that," Vanitas warned.  
"Do what?"  
"Get all sentimental on me because of this time of year. I'm already ready to kill Axel and make it look like an accident, don't make me add you to the list," Vanitas said.   
"If you would just talk about it-"  
"There's **nothing** to talk about! If anything, **you** should have something to talk about!" Vanitas said.   
"Excuse me?" Ventus asked.  
"You never answered my question in the car about your fucking mood change. So is there something you want to **talk** about?" Vanitas asked. Ventus scratched his wrist and sighed heavily. He knew he was heading into dangerous waters when he brought up this subject. But Vanitas was taking his anger out on him now and right now, he couldn't deal with that.   
"For the record, there wasn't much else to say after you decided to use my feelings against me and kiss me. But no, there's nothing I need to talk about," Ventus said. There was a long moment of silence on the phone as Ventus was assuming Vanitas was trying to figure out a way to respond to that with a smart remark. Vanitas was such an asshole...so why the hell did Ventus still harbor feelings for him?   
"Sorry."  
"Come again?" Ventus asked, shocked.   
"Sorry. I'm pissed right now and I'm taking it out on you. So I'm sorry. And I'm sorry about that kiss. I wasn't trying to hurt your feelings when I did that. I don't know why I did that," Vanitas said.    
"You said-"  
"Forget whatever my reasons were. They weren't entirely true. Just pretend it never happened. I don't want to talk about it. I'm just sorry for hurting your feelings," Vanitas said, dismissing the subject. Ventus took a huge breath. This was one of the reasons why he still liked this asshole. One minute, he's being a jerk, and the next he's apologizing (only ever to Ventus) about his wrongdoings.   
"Are you going to go with me to see this kid?" Ventus asked, changing the subject as Vanitas had asked.   
"I'll go, but I'm not driving," Vanitas said.  
"That's fine. I'll pick you up in ten minutes," Ventus said before hanging up the phone. He let out the huge breath he took as he closed his eyes. He really needed these feelings for Vanitas to stop. His heart had fluttered upon realizing that Vanitas hadn't kissed him to hurt him. But if that wasn't the reason, then what was it? He had to stop himself from thinking it was for any reason that suited his fancy, because it couldn't be. He got up, grabbed his car keys, and drove over to Vanitas's house.

  
_Cloud and Leon's House_

  
        Sora had woken up a good three hours later, and by that time, Axel couldn't find it in him to corner the kid and question him about being scared of him. He didn't want to take Roxas's word for it, but he would settle in making sure Sora knew he wasn't a menace by the time the night was over. He had gotten a text from Ven earlier saying he had finally convinced Vanitas to come and the both of them were currently on their way. They were all in the middle of a game of monopoly when the doorbell rang.  
"Is that them?" Sora asked. While he wasn't too keen on meeting more people, he was curious as to why Axel had kept referring to someone else as his twin.  
"Yup. Coming!" Demyx announced, getting up from the floor.   
"Wait, wait, wait!" Axel said, getting up as well, "Vanitas you have to close your eyes!"  
"For fucking what?!" they heard Vanitas's voice through the door. Sora cringed. This person didn't sound too happy to be here.   
"Because I want to see your face clearly when you see your own angelic reflection staring you in the face," Axel laughed.  
"I swear to God I'm going to end your life," Vanitas said, but he let Ventus cover his eyes as Axel opened the door. They carefully walked through the door. Sora stood up from the couch but made no move to go near the two boys. When Ventus spotted Sora, his eyes widened.   
"Oh shit, Vanitas, they weren't joking" Ventus said, "He does look like you."  
"I will be the judge of that, thank you," Vanitas said, annoyed. He yanked Ventus's hands from his face and when his eyes landed on the boy, his eyes widened in disbelief.  
"Told you!" Axel laughed, "Vanitas, I'd like to meet your angelic twin. This is-"  
"Sora?!" Vanitas suddenly blurted out.

  
_And there's the cliffhanger that I love so much! How many of you saw this coming? Do you still have any faith in a relationship between Ventus and Vanitas? Does Sora actually have a crush on Roxas? This story has a long way to go, so anything could happen. Next chapter, we finally get a little insight_ on _Sora's background. That's all I'm giving away. Stay tuned! Poof!_

 


	12. How I Know You

                                                                                                                             How I Know You

  
_Disclaimer: I do not own kingdom hearts nor Final Fantasy, sadly._

  
Vanitas's sudden outburst spooked everyone. Sora, who it was directed at, actually backed away a little in fright. Why did this guy know his name? He only remembered his name a while ago, so how did this person know his name?  
"Vanitas, what the fuck? How did you know that?" Axel asked. Vanitas ignored him, still staring at Sora as if he couldn't believe it.  
"Sora! Sora, it's me! It's Vanitas!" Vanitas said. Sora only stared back completely dumbfounded. What was going on?   
"Sora, don't you remember me?" Vanitas asked, a frantic panic setting in the pit of his stomach. He suddenly walked towards Sora, holding his shoulders.  
"Sora! It's me! Vanitas!" Vanitas said again. Sora, who had not expected the sudden grip on his shoulders, jumped and pushed away from Vanitas, which only ended up hurting Vanitas, and he didn't hide it well.   
"Okay, slow down" Cloud said, stepping in between Vanitas and Sora. He turned to Vanitas, "Vanitas, what's going on? You know Sora?"  
"Yes, I know Sora!" Vanitas exclaimed as if he was insulted, "He's my cousin!"  
There was a moment of silence in the room. Ventus bit his lip and nodded slowly. Now this was making sense to him, but everyone else was still lost.   
"He is?" Roxas asked.   
"Yes!" Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, are you sure? I know he looks like you but-"  
"Axel, I'm not a fucking idiot! That's my cousin!" Vanitas said, then he turned back to Sora, "You are my cousin! Why don't you know who I am?" Sora couldn't answer him and he looked to Cloud for reassurance.   
"Sora, does he look familiar to you? At all?" Leon asked. Sora shook his head.   
"I don't know who he is," Sora said. Vanitas blinked.   
"Yes, you do!" Vanitas claimed.  
"Vanitas, you may have the wrong person," Cloud tried.   
"If I have the wrong person, then how come I knew his name before Axel even said it? He's my cousin! I know he is!" Vanitas took out his wallet, took out a picture, and shoved it in Cloud's direction, "This is proof if you don't believe me."   
Cloud took the picture from him and he and Leon looked at it. In the picture were two little boys sitting at a picnic table. They looked nearly identical. The dark haired one, presumingly Vanitas, was sitting on the bench, attempting to push away another child. The other child had the same hair as Vanitas, but it was brown, and the kid had gorgeous blue eyes as cool as the sky. In it, the brown-haired child was trying to shove a lizard in Vanitas's face. It was very clear that the other boy in the photo was Sora. Cloud handed the picture to Sora, who only stared at it in disbelief. Was this really him? There was no doubt that it was, but he couldn't recall this picture. He looked at the picture for another minute before looking back up at the boy called Vanitas.   
"Who are you?" Sora asked.   
"I'm Vanitas! And you're my cousin!" Vanitas said, almost desperate now. Sora stared at the picture again, but it wasn't helping. The boy in this picture looked so happy. Sora couldn't remember the last time he had smiled like that. Did he ever smile like that? Apparently, but he couldn't remember it.   
"Sora, do you really not know who I am?" Vanitas asked. Sora only stared at him with sadness in his eyes, and Vanitas, having taken that as his answer, inhaled greatly to console both his temper and emotion, turned around, and stormed out the house, slamming the door.   
"What the hell just happened?" Demyx asked.  
"I'm not sure, but I feel like it's my fault," Sora said sadly.   
"It's not your fault, Sora," Cloud said immediately. Ventus mentally scoffed. It, by most means, was Sora's fault, but he felt like he would lose that argument if he said anything, so he remained quiet.   
"I'm going to go after him," Ventus said before walking out the house. Leon led Sora to sit down on the couch, who was still clutching the picture as if it held all the answers.   
"Who was that?" Sora asked.  
"That was our angry tempered friend, Vanitas," Axel said.  
"Who apparently knows you," Demyx added.  
"But I don't know who he is" Sora said, "But this picture...I'm pretty sure that's me, even if I don't remember ever being that happy."  
"Sora, think about it" Cloud said, "Does Vanitas look any type of familiar to you? Do you recognize anything about him?"  
"Nothing," Sora said.  
"Nothing at all?"  
"No. I don't know him," Sora said.  
"That was the first time I've seen Vanitas act like that. He looked so...relieved...at least until he realized you didn't know him," Roxas said.   
"Yeah, that was a whole different side of Vanitas I never seen before. He almost seemed like a good person," Axel laughed.   
"I hope Ventus can bring him back here. I would like to get to the bottom of this," Leon said. Sora nodded, staring back at the picture again. If he really was Vanitas's cousin, then what happened to him?

_Outside_

  
"Vanitas! Vanitas! Wait up!" Ventus called, slightly running after he realized how far Vanitas had actually gotten in two short minutes. When he finally caught up to Vanitas who had stopped at the corner, Ventus was gasping for breath.   
"Vanitas...calm down," Ventus said when he caught his breath.  
"Don't tell to calm down! Do you have any idea who that is?!" Vanitas said. He was in a state of disbelief and on top of that, he was hurt. Ventus knew this wasn't good.   
"I have a very clear picture of who that is" Ventus said, "But Vanitas, come back inside."  
"No! I'm not going back in there! Sora has no idea who I am! Either that or he's being a complete asshole by pretending otherwise! I can't handle that Ventus!" Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, he may just be having a memory lapse. It's been years since you've seen each other. Family members forget each other sometimes," Ventus tried to reason with him.   
"Don't give me that bullshit excuse! This is Sora! We were practically tied together at the hip! We were inseparable! Memory lapse my ass! Ventus...I thought...I thought..." Vanitas couldn't finish his sentence. Ventus, seeing his moment to get him to calm down, placed his hands on Vanitas's shoulders, facing him.  
"You thought he was dead...I know," Ventus said calmly.   
"They said there were no survivors," Vanitas replied.   
"Well, they were wrong. And Sora's alive. And you need to come back inside and explain what happened," Ventus said.  
"I can't" Vanitas said, "I can't deal with him looking at me like that. Did you see him? He looked at me like I was a complete stranger. And the worst was that he looked...scared of me. Sora was never scared of me. I used to literally hit him for no reason and Sora would still share his snacks with me. I'm not going back in there," Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, you have to" Ventus said, "Obviously something fishy has happened. You thought Sora was dead, he's clearly not, and he doesn't know who you are. Something doesn't add up, don't you think?"  
Vanitas was quiet for a minute and Ventus didn't need to read his mind to know that he already knew Ventus was right. Something didn't add up.   
"We're not staying," Vanitas said, and Ventus nodded. At least they were going back inside. Ventus had to ignore the fact that Vanitas indicated that the two of them were leaving, meaning Vanitas didn't want to be alone, but he ignored it. Vanitas didn't like him that anyway. He didn't like seeing Vanitas this shaken up though. It worried him, because it was only this part of his life that actually shook Vanitas as a person. He wasn't even sure if Vanitas was ready to face his greatest torment, but he knew they had to go back in the house. Everyone deserved an answer, especially Sora if he truly didn't know who Vanitas was. As they walked back to the house, Ventus could've sworn he saw Vanitas slightly shaking.   
He silently prayed that Sora knew who Vanitas was.   
When they came back inside, Vanitas seemed rather composed compared to seven minutes ago, but Ventus knew he was still a little shaken. Sora was sitting on the couch with Cloud and Leon, the picture clutched in Sora's hand. Demyx was sitting in the armchair, Roxas was sitting on the arm of the armchair and Axel was leaning against the wall.  
"Why you all look like you were waiting for us?" Vanitas asked.   
"Because we were," Cloud said, standing up.   
"I'm not apologizing for my actions earlier if that's what you're expecting," Vanitas said.   
"On the contrary, we want to continue the conversation," Cloud said.   
"Vanitas?" Sora asked, slightly still afraid. This black haired version of himself was explosive and he had to be careful, "How do you know me?"  
"For the umpteenth time, you're my cousin" Vanitas repeated, using a softer tone to address the boy, "However...the reason why I'm so shocked right now is that according to the papers, you're supposed to be dead."  
"What?" Sora asked, shocked and rather scared. He was supposed to be dead? What? Why?  
"We were eight" Vanitas said, leaning against the entryway to the kitchen. Sora turned around on the couch, facing the back so he could still Vanitas, "My parents got a call from our aunt. You and your parents had went down to the islands for a weekend vacation. Supposedly....fuck this, it's easier for you to just see it."   
Vanitas walked over to Leon's laptop that was sitting on the desk in the corner and opened up the internet.  
"How did you unlock my laptop?" Leon asked, suspicious.  
"Your password apparently hasn't changed since the last time I was here I see," Vanitas said, sideswiping the question. He quickly typed in a URL he had memorized by heart at times like this when he didn't have the paper with him. Up on the screen appeared a newspaper clipping:

  
                                                                    BLOOD IN THE SEA: FAMILY DROWNED OFF COAST OF DESTINY ISLAND

  
                _Tragedy struck the coast of Destiny Island on April 13th of 2010 when a couple on a beach were stunned to have found a body washed up on shore. The body was tied to a chair and appeared to have a bullet wound to the head that had sunken in. Police were alerted immediately and after searching the area where the body floated from, investigators say they found another body. A female, presumingly the wife, was also found tied to a chair with a bullet wound to the head. An autopsy was performed to reveal the identities of Helen and Nathan Wright, a couple who were on vacation were shot and killed on a boat they were staying on with the cruise. Reports also revealed that the couple had a son, Sora Wright, 8 years old, who had accompanied them on vacation. However, after days of searching, the divers and police were unable to find the body of the missing child. Relatives of the family have been contacted. Our thoughts and prayers are with them._

  
 Attached at the bottom of the paper was a family picture of the three. The woman, Helen, had long brown hair and hazel eyes, smiling brightly as she sat next to the man, Nathan, who had beautiful blue eyes and tousled blonde hair. On Helen's lap was Sora, who appeared to be too busy trying to untie his bowtie to pay attention to the camera.   
"The police figured the water creatures had devoured your corpse by the time Nathan's body was discovered on the beach" Vanitas said, and the anger in his voice was very clear, "Ignorant assholes."  
Sora just stared at the article, trying to let the information sink in. But he couldn't believe any of this. He didn't recognize the people in this photo, but he definitely had the man, Nathan's, eyes. He had a mother named Helen and a father named Nathan? Sora found it a little ironic how that name was what the group had called him until he could remember his actual name. But were these people really his parents? What vacation? What cruise? Sora tried his hardest to think back to his very first memory, but all that came with that was a brutal sting in his cheek. His first memory was being slapped by that man.   
The event happened in 2010...it was 2018. Sora was eight. He couldn't remember anything past that slap. Not a single memory. Did he go to kindergarten? Did he have a best friend?...That slap was all he could remember. But he had a family. A family that was killed and thrown away in the ocean.  
"But...if this is me...then...how-how am I here?" Sora asked in complete disbelief. He didn't know what he was more upset about; the fact that he had a family that was clearly taken away from him by horrible means, or that he had been left alive. Why was he left alive to endure such torture?  
"That's the part where it gets weird" Vanitas said, "As I said, I thought you were dead. Whoever read this article thinks you're dead at the bottom of the ocean somewhere. I'm losing half my mind trying to figure out how you're here. But since you are here...where did you go?"   
"I..." Sora couldn't answer. It's not that he didn't know. He didn't know how exactly he got there, but this was treading on the territory that even Cloud and Leon didn't know all the details to.   
"Sora, you don't have any recollection of this incident?" Cloud asked, trying to veer away from the question of doom.   
"I don't even recognize the people in this photo" Sora said, backing away from the screen, a heavy hurt clear in his eyes, "I don't know them at all. I don't know Vanitas at all, I barely even know who I am at all! I don't remember any of this!"  
Vanitas stood up from the computer desk and placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, and this time, Sora didn't flinch away.   
"You don't remember anything?" Vanitas asked. Sora shook his head slowly. Vanitas wasn't feeling angry anymore, because now since it was very clear that Sora had no recollection of anything, something new was bothering him.   
"Sora...what happened to you?" Vanitas asked. Sora's bottom lip trembled slightly, and Cloud intervened, sensing that Sora was most definitely about to cry.  
"Vanitas" Cloud said, steering him away from Sora, "We...we haven't exactly covered that ground yet."  
"What? How long has he been here?" Vanitas asked.  
"A few months now but he's hasn't really been here that long," Leon responded.  
"Cloud, get off me!" Vanitas suddenly demanded, pushing away from Cloud, "My cousin has been living less than an hour away from me for a few **months**!? You, Leon, Axel, Roxas and Demyx have known about this-" Vanitas stopped his train of thought as he zeroed in on his three so-called friends. He had momentarily forgotten that this whole thing was happening because Axel, Roxas and Demyx had kidnapped a kid from a house and had brought him to Cloud and Leon's. They had kidnapped Sora from another place and brought him here. Vanitas sat down on the couch.  
"I can't handle this right now" Vanitas said, trying to keep himself in control before he lost it in front of everyone, "You guys kidnapped my cousin who I thought was dead, he doesn't have any idea who I am, and none of you bothered to ask what happened to him?!"  
"Vanitas, remember when we said in the cafeteria that day about how he's been through some tough stuff?" Roxas said.  
"Yes."  
"We weren't lying when we said that. It's just that...we don't really know because Sora hasn't told us," Roxas said.  
"Why not?" Vanitas asked, turning back to Sora, "Sora, what happened to you?"   
Sora but his lip hard. While everyone but Vanitas and the blonde kid whose name he couldn't remember somewhat knew what had happened to him, Sora still hadn't exactly explained to them the full extent of it. But he didn't want to. He didn't want to go through all that trauma again by talking about it. It was shameful. All the things he did so he wouldn't be punished...everything he had to say to appease that man's temper...the toys...everything. He was a slut, and he had no interest in sharing that with this stranger, even if it was his cousin.   
"Sora's not ready to talk about it," Cloud said, "I'm serious, Vanitas, it's quite a bit to absorb. Leon and I don't even know the full extent of it and Sora's not in the position to talk about it. But if you're willing to stay the night, Leon and I can fill you in...if that's okay with Sora."  
"I...I mean...I guess I don't mind?" Sora said, although his answer wasn't exactly certain.  
"Sora, if you don't want me to, I won't," Cloud said.   
"No, it's just..." Sora trailed off before he swallowed and took a deep breath. This was his story, even if he didn't want to share it. If Vanitas was truly his cousin, and now there was no doubt that he was even if Sora didn't remember, he at least deserved to know what happened to his "dead" cousin. Sora straightened his shoulders.  
"No. I'll tell him. I'll tell all of you."

  
_And there we have it!_ Sorry _this chapter is a little short but it would've been way too long if I added Sora's explanation to this one as well. Who was surprised and who wasn't? Stay tuned, next chapter, we get an insight to Sora's torment being in the hands of the man, Axel finally confronts Sora about him being afraid of him, and we may or may not get some insight on Ventus's situation. Any guesses? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	13. Memories Tell All

Memories Tell All  
 _Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts or the rights to any of these characters! This story is just for entertainment._

 _My first memory is a slap to my face. I must've been sleeping or something for him to have done that. I'd rather not describe what he looks like because the only thing that ever warned me of anything was his yellow eyes. And that's the first thing I saw when I woke up. I didn't know what was going on at the time. I asked him where I was and he said I was home. I don't remember what my thoughts were when he asked me that because I don't remember anything_ of _my life before that. I must've said something that pissed him off because he hit me again and repeated that this was my home. I asked him who he was and he told me that I didn't have the right to know his name because I wasn't worth knowing that knowledge. I think he did it so if I ever escaped, I wouldn't be able to tell the police who he was. But he told me to call him master so I obliged. It was all pretty calm at first. He mostly made me just do chores around the house that didn't involve being outside because I wasn't allowed to go out there, not even in the backyard. I was only hit if I did something wrong or if I forgot to do a chore completely. But he always hit me really hard when he did. It was never a pop to the head or a slap to the arm. It was always a slap to the face or I'd get hit with a belt. One time he punched me straight in the nose and broke it. He never hit me in the face after that, he said my face was too_ precious _to mess up. I didn't find out what he meant by that until years later. I don't remember when I forgot my own name. He just kept calling me_ a slut _. That's all I remember. That's just how it was for a while. I did chores, if I forgot anything or talked back, which was rare, I'd be punished with a beating. As I got older, the beatings got worse. It went from a hit here and there to him just straight up being the hell out of me. He would purposely find things wrong with my chores and punish me for it. Then I started getting in trouble for things that weren't even my fault. If he had a bad day at work, I got hit. If he lost his keys, I got hit. If he just felt like hitting me, I got hit. I tried avoiding him when he was home, but then I got hit because I wasn't attending to him. He wanted me in his sights almost all the time. Then he started introducing different kinds of punishment. Instead of hitting me, he would starve me for two days or make me stand in a corner for hours on end until I_ collapsed _in exhaustion. And then he would hit me for falling down. There was nothing I could do to please him or avoid getting hit. The only thing that ever seemed to make him less angry is if I played the piano. He had a lot of books in his library, and I_ self taught _myself how to play the piano. They were all small songs but he seemed to like them. It was the only thing that kept him at bay. The library was the only place I was allowed in by myself. He'd leave me in there for an hour and I would just pick up books to read. I probably know way more history than necessary and more_ autobiographies _of people I never knew existed._  
 _I never tried to escape during those years. Some part of my brain started telling me that this was normal. That other people were going through it and it was selfish of me to try and run away. I had nowhere to go to anyway. He would find me and probably kill me. I was too scared to try. The year I turned eleven is when things started...escalating. He started making me sit on the floor at his feet and he would run his fingers through my hair while telling me about his day. Then he would make me sit in his lap while I played the piano. He didn't hit me either that year. My punishments changed too. When he made me stand in the corner, he made me strip down to my boxers before doing it. That actually became my main punishment and I didn't realize it was because of perverted reasons. In my mind, it was better than being hit so I didn't think of anything he did that year as odd. I_ didn't think anything _of it if he sat me on his lap for no reason, or if he suddenly decided that I couldn't take a bath unless he was home, or when he gave me_ massages _on odd parts of my body. I didn't think anything of it. Anything was better than the beatings. Little did I know he was only preparing me for his future plans._  
 _When I was twelve, the first half of the year, his small gestures started turning violent. While running his fingers through his hair, he would suddenly pull extremely hard on it. If he was caressing my face, he'd slap me. One time I was playing the piano and I hit a wrong note by accident and he punched me in the back so hard I was bedridden for two days. Every supposedly loving gesture he did came with a violent consequence. He started choking me, or if I had to stand in the corner, every hour he would throw cold water on me to keep me awake._  
 _There are lots of times when he started raping me that I don't remember, either due to drugs or my brain just pushing them so far back in my mind that I just don't remember. But I remember the first time he did because it's one of my most frequent nightmares. We were in his study. I was sitting on his lap reading him one of the history books I had found in the library. He would just make me read to him sometimes, I never understood why. He was running his fingers through my hair and he suddenly stopped. I was scared that he was about to pull it back so I just kept reading, knowing there would be consequences if I stopped before he told me to. Then he kissed me on the back of the neck. I stopped reading at that. I knew what a kiss was, but I didn't understand where that came from. I didn't understand why he had done it. He never did that before. It was new, and I was terrified because I couldn't predict what would happen next, even if I was wrong. He smacked me and told me to keep reading, so I did. He did it again and I only paused for a second before I continued reading. My heart was racing and I was so scared of what he was doing. His hands went_ up _my shirt and I couldn't keep reading. I called to him and he told me to shut up before knocking the book out my hand and forcibly turning my head around painfully to kiss me. I started struggling really bad. I didn't like it, I didn't know what was going on. I kept yelling at him to stop and I tried to push him away from me. Then he covered my nose and my mouth, cutting off my air, and he told me to shut up and keep still if I wanted to breathe. I nodded and it took every ounce of my willpower to stay still as he continued his torment. Then he went to open my pants and I freaked and I elbowed him in the stomach before jumping off him and running towards the front door. I was going to leave that time. I decided that I couldn't do it, and I didn't care where I went just as long as it was away from him._  
 _I didn't make it to the front door. He caught me before I even reached the main lobby and slammed me down hard on the floor. He slapped me so hard my lip bled and then he_ actullay _got my clothes off and he raped me. It was one of the most painful experiences I ever had. I just kept crying the whole time, begging him to stop. And all he did was tell me to shut up and he called me a slut and it was that day when I realized what a slut actually meant. When it was over, he beat the living hell out of me for trying to escape._  
 _That's how it was for a while. I was either hit for nothing, or I was raped for everything. Even playing the piano didn't calm him down anymore. I'm not_ ever _sure if he was angry half the time, the look in his eyes_ was _the only clue if I was about to be hit or sexually assaulted. And he did it everywhere. There's not a place in that house where I wasn't thrown upon and raped against._ Except _for the library. He never attacked me in the library. Years went by, he started introducing the toys. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't fight him, I didn't have the strength to attempt to leave anymore, and I was too scared to even try. I started getting chained to the bed for days or whipped or forced to say things that weren't true. He didn't introduce drugs until I was fifteen, and I don't even remember half the things he did then. I was drugged almost all the time. I couldn't tell what was real anymore from what wasn't. I started hallucinating, the hypnotism happened, I was hot and needy all the time. I felt sick. I felt like less than a person. I was exactly what he had called me all those years before I even knew what it was. I was a slut. That's all I was. He used me whenever he felt like it, and I couldn't do anything about it. When you guys found me, he had just finished-he had just-_   
Sora couldn't continue, and he ended up running to the kitchen trash can, throwing up. He had been trying his best to hold back the bile in his throat while he was talking, but bringing back the memories was making his stomach churn horribly and he wasn't able to explain what the man was doing to him before the boys had found him. It was too shameful and the thought of it pushed the bile straight to his mouth and Sora had just barely made it to the trashcan. While he was in the kitchen puking, all the men sitting in the living room didn't know what to do.   
Cloud was holding tight onto Leon's hand, and he was shaking horribly with dread. Leon looked away a long time ago, not being able to watch Sora tell his story with the pained expression on his face. Demyx was biting his lip, not really sure what to do with himself, Axel had kept cracking his knuckles, and he wasn't sure if it was out of nervousness or anger. Roxas had just sat completely still, too scared of his own reaction if he made any sort of movement. Ventus had started scratching his wrist a while into the story, and to say Vanitas was angry was an understatement, He was shaking his legs and balling and unballing his fists in absolute rage.  
Sora's puking had lightened the air slightly, and it made Cloud and Leon get up and go into the kitchen to attend to him.   
"Vanitas, not that any of us are okay, but you definitely don't look okay," Axel said once he glanced over at Vanitas.   
"Because I'm so ready to commit a fucking murder right now, I'm giving myself a headache," Vanitas said as calmly as he could. He meant what he said. He had been arrested before he wasn't even guilty, but he would definitely risk jail time if he meant he could kill the man who had not only clearly kidnapped his cousin and killed his aunt and uncle, but also exposed him to such cruel acts of any human being. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. If he went to jail, he wouldn't be able to see Sora, so he had to calm down.   
"I need to take a walk, I can't sit here," Vanitas said, standing up suddenly. He subconsciously grabbed Ventus's arm before dragging him outside as well.   
Sora came back in the kitchen, a wet rang wiping around his mouth.  
"Did Vanitas and the other kid leave just now?" Sora asked.   
"Yeah," Roxas said.  
"I half expected all of you to leave" Sora said sadly, "Nobody wants to be associated with someone like me. Talking about all that only proved how much of a -"  
"Sora, that word isn't allowed in this house," Leon said, cutting Sora off before he said it.   
"That's also not why they left, Sora" Axel said, standing up, "Vanitas was pretty much ready to murder the man you were talking about. He went outside to get some air most likely."  
"Really?" Sora asked.  
"Yes. And Sora, please know that nothing has changed about how we think about you," Demyx said.  
"Why wouldn't it?" Sora asked. He was confused. Why are they still here after hearing about how pathetic he was?   
"Because it's not your fault. You were forced into a situation you couldn't get out of. Why would that make us think any different of you? We rescued you, remember?" Axel said.  
"But I could've gotten out of it. There were plenty of opportunities I could've escaped," Sora said. Didn't they see how stupid he had been? To stay there?  
"Sora, you said so yourself. There was nowhere for you to go, you didn't have a choice. Stop trying to twist it to make it sound like it's your fault," Roxas said. He got up from where he was sitting on the couch and before Sora could object, he wrapped him in a hug.   
"It's not your fault," Roxas said. Axel and Demyx took that as their cue and they walked over and hugged him as well. Sora didn't even know he was crying until he felt a wet spot on Roxas's shirt where his chin was.   
"You-you guys might want to stop-hugging me," Sora said.  
"Is it making you uncomfortable?" Roxas asked.  
"My stomach is being smushed and it's making me want to throw up."  
"Whoa, don't gotta tell me twice," Axel said as he backed away along with the other two. Sora laughed despite himself, but the laugh actually did make him throw up on the floor.   
"S-sorry Cloud," Sora said sadly after regaining his breathing.   
"It's okay, Sora. Leon, could you get me the mop?" Cloud asked.   
"Are...is Vanitas...coming back?" Sora asked.   
"He'll come back, Sora" Axel said, "You're his cousin who he thought was dead. He'll come back, he just needs some air."  
"Do you want to watch Hey Arnold in the mean time?" Demyx asked, trying to lighten the mood. Sora nodded slowly, and Roxas lead him back to the couch as Demyx turned on the TV to go to Netflix. The episode Stoop Kid was coming on.   
"Oh, this is one of my favorite episodes," Demyx smiled. All were quiet as the episode played, Cloud and Leon having snuck into the kitchen to begin dinner anew. They were getting towards the end of the episode and Demyx had yet to stop laughing.  
"Demyx, will you shut up?" Roxas asked. although he was laughing too. The episode wasn't even that funny, they were laughing at Demyx.  
"Oh come on! This episode is hilarious!" Demyx exclaimed.   
"It's not that funny!" Axel chuckled, "What's funny is you talking through the whole episode mocking the lines." Sora smiled to himself, enjoying watching the boys reactions to one another. He wondered what his life would be like if he had met them under regular circumstances. Maybe in school or at a park. Instead, they found him in his boxers on drugs and having a huge phallus shoved up his ass. Sora sighed, ashamed of his pathetic life. He turned his attention back to the television as the episode was ending. The fat kid on the show, Harold, had just humiliated the stoop kid because he wouldn't get off the stoop. Suddenly, the kid yelled "Come here, fat boy!" and jumped off the stoop. Sora laughed along with the rest of the gang.

  
And then something hit Sora so strong he gasped.

  
 _**"Come here, fat boy!" the stoop kid said as he jumped off the stoop. Two little boys who could be mistaken for twins laughed hysterically on the couch. One had a spiky mop of brown hair, the other of black._  
 _"It's funny every time he says that!" the black haired boy said._  
 _"Let's rewind it!" the_ _brown haired kid said._  
 _"Sora! Vanitas! Com_ e _eat!" a female voice yelled from somewhere._  
 _"Coming!" both boys said as they hopped off the couch.**_

  
_**"Vanitas, get it out! Get it out!" Sora cried, standing still, scared. There was a spider in his hair that had fallen off the tree._   
_"Calm down or it's going to bite you!" Vanitas laughed._   
_"Bite?!" Sora exclaimed, suddenly jerking his hair forward, trying to get rid of it himself._   
_"Sora, don't!" Vanitas said, although he was laughing his butt off. **_

  
_**"I win!" Vanitas shouted in victory. He and Sora were playing a game of Trouble and Vanitas had just won._  
 _"No fair! You cheated!" Sora whined._  
 _"You can't cheat in Trouble!" Vanitas said, "Quit pouting! Look, how about we go eat the rest of our Halloween candy? I'll give you my kit_ _kats!"_  
 _"Deal!" Sora beamed before they ran downstairs.**_

  
They kept coming. Memory after memory. Christmas Eve when Vanitas had them open their presents the night before and rewrap them. Thanksgiving when he and Vanitas had snuck their vegetables to the dog because they didn't want to eat them. Vanitas's birthday when Sora had gotten him a baseball signed by a soccer player by accident. The picture Vanitas had in his wallet, Sora trying to put a lizard in Vanitas's hair and Vanitas pushing him away. Sora just sat there, his eyes wide as the memories flooded his vision. He didn't notice the tears that were running down his face until Axel suddenly shook him.  
"Sora! Sora? You okay?" Axel asked. Sora suddenly blinked, knocking himself back to reality.  
"Wh-what?" Sora asked.  
"You okay? You just started staring oddly and now you're crying. Are you alright?" Axel asked. Cloud and Leon were coming down the stairs, having heard Axel's shout.   
"Yea, I'm...I'm-"  
"We're back! Vanitas didn't kill anyone!" Ventus announced as they opened the door. Sora stood up, almost knocking Axel over with the speed of it if he hadn't moved out the way.   
"Vanitas!" Sora cried. Vanitas didn't have time to react to before Sora slammed into him with a hug, knocking them both to the ground with the force of his hug.   
"The stoop kid was or favorite episode! We fed our vegetables to your dalmatian on Thanksgiving! I got your baseball signed by a stupid soccer player! You let a spider fall in my head! You cheated when we played Trouble!" Sora jabbered, almost too fast for Vanitas to comprehend what he was saying.  
"I never cheated in Trouble! It's literally impossible to cheat in-wait, how do you-"  
"Vanitas I remember!" Sora said, smiling while looking at Vantias, "I remember you! I know who you are! I remember!"  
It took Vanitas a second to process what Sora had actually said, but when he did, a huff escaped him as he smiled brighter than any of them had ever seen and he hugged his cousin back. Sora was smiling and laughing and crying at the same time in hysterics, as the memories still played in his head and he shouted them all out as they went by, repeatedly shouting "I remember!" after each one.

_In the Outskirts of the City, Months Ago_

  
"I fucking hate idiots!" I grumbled angrily as I drove home. Today was definitely not my day. My client decided that instead of doing what I recommended him to do, he ended up doing things his way and all it ended in was a lawsuit between his client and the old scrooge he committed the crime against. The fucking idiot!   
I took a deep breath, calming my nerves. At least my day wouldn't end bad. I'm on my way home, and I'm going to have a nice glass of wine, a soaking bath, and then I'm going to put my pent up frustration to good use on my slut. He's always ready when I need him. A smile formed on my face as I drove into my driveway and parked. I unlocked my door and threw my jacket off.   
"I'm home!" I called, not expecting an answer. If the drugs I gave him were effective, he should be knocked out by this point. Oh, how fun it would be to wake him up with my cock shoved inside him. He would love that. Or at least I would.   
With that thought in mind, I decided the bath and the wine could wait. My slut needed some much needed attention. I walked up the stairs and took out my special key as I approached his door.   
"Oh, I can't wait to be seated inside him," I said, grinning to myself. I put the key in the door and opened it, smiling.  
The smile wiped itself from my face when I noticed an empty bed. The bindings were on the bed in rags, cut open it looked like.   
I breathed in through my nose and out through my mouth before I pulled out my cell phone and dialed a friend of mine.   
"Hello? You there? Yeah, I need you to do me a couple favors for some pay. It appears as though my slut has escaped."

  
_Holy moly, this is a long ass chapter, but I had a lot to write. I know I didn't include what I had promised in the last chapter, but I liked this version better. How do you guys like it? I promise in the next chapter Axel will talk to Sora and we get some more insight into Ventus. I will also include what took Ventus and Vanitas so long outside. Do you guys have any ideas what up? Anyways, stay tuned! Poof!_


	14. Notice! (Not a Discontinued Notice)

Hey guys, I just wanted to keep you posted. Please know that I am still writing this story, but I was finishing some other projects that aren't fanfiction related so it took up a good portion of my time. I also just work a lot having two jobs. The story will continue! I just write when I have time and when I feel like it. So don't worry, I'm going to finish this because it's a long one


	15. Where's the Care?

Where's The Care?

  
To say that Vanitas was happy was an understatement. Ventus couldn't even remember the last time he had seen Vanitas this calm and relaxed. He was almost sad himself when they all had to leave because Cloud and Leon wanted to see if they could investigate more into the newspaper, see if they could possibly find out more than what Vanitas had described. But Ventus knew they weren't going to find anything. Ventus had helped Vanitas years ago to try and find anything about the incident, but they never found anything. That had only added to Vanitas's sour attitude and Ventus was worried at one point in time that Vanitas might've killed himself when he didn't answer his calls for an entire day. Ventus didn't tell Leon and Cloud it was hopeless though. They were older than them, maybe they would find something?  
Sora had been really sad to see Vanitas leave but Ventus had a feeling that the kid also wanted to find out more but didn't want to hurt Vanitas's feelings since he seemed so happy. Ventus didn't know what Axel was talking about. He said that he and Sora would probably be good friends but Sora had barely said anything to Ventus while they were there. He forgot his name like six times and it's not Ventus was mad at him, but he got tired really quickly of having to repeat his name to Sora's sad face. Ventus was willing to let it go. The kid's story was a lot to tell. Ventus felt extremely bad for the kid. How had he survived all this time living a life like that? And to the point where he forgot his own name? Ventus knew he himself was not that strong, he would've found a way to commit suicide at some point before the age of fourteen. He respected Sora for fighting until Axel and they found him, but that didn't make it any easier to process. He considered Sora lucky. He suffered, there's no doubt about that, but he had Leon, Cloud, Axel,Roxas, Demyx and Vanitas to look after him now. They were going to make sure he was okay.  
Ventus just wished he had received that same attention once upon a time ago.   
As he drove Vanitas back to his house, he took pleasure in the comfortable silence that was in the car as Vanitas was staring out the window, looking calmer than he's seen him in a long time. Obviously the fact that Sora suffered at the hands of someone who they didn't know frustrated him, but he was calm knowing that his cousin was now safe and sound. And it was definitely better than how Vanitas was after Sora had finished talking and he not so gently pulled Ventus with him outside.

  
_"Vanitas, slow down! You're walking too fast! I'm going to trip over myself!" Ventus complained as he was dragged down the street. Vanitas ignored him as he kept walking. They walked off the block completely and Vanitas didn't stop walking until they finally made it to the fields that were just beyond Cloud and Leon's streets. It used to be a park but the city took it away to just leave it as a piece of untouched land. It was beautiful and left alone. Vanitas sat down in the grass, dragging Ventus down with him, who didn't land so gracefully. He was waiting for Vanitas to let go of his wrist as it was starting to hurt and he was concerned about it bruising. Thank God he had grabbed the uninjured wrist at least._  
 _Vanitas laid back down in the grass, still not letting Ventus go, and put his free hand over his face, covering his eyes. At first, Ventus thought it was because the sun was in his eyes, but then he heard a sniffle and realized that Vanitas was crying. He wanted to ask him if he was okay, he really did, but he decided to just lean back slightly so the tug on his wrist wasn't so tight, and wait it out. He had a feeling that if he asked something right now, Vanitas would yell at him and he didn't need that right now._  
 _It was the longest four minutes of his life, but eventually, he felt the tension on his wrist lessen and he took that as his cue to remove his wrist from the grip. Vanitas didn't sit back up. There was another long minute of silence._  
 _"_ Sorry _" Vanitas said at last, "I just needed something physical to hold on to that I couldn't break."_  
 _"You were pretty damn_ close _" Ventus said, "I'm not going to ask if you're okay. I don't think it's going to do you any good."_  
 _"Appreciated," Vanitas said. Another minute in silence._  
 _"All this_ time _" Vanitas said, more to himself than to Ventus, but he listened anyway, "All this time, I thought Sora was dead."_  
 _"Well, it's a good thing he's alive, then," Ventus said._  
 _"Just barely. You heard that story, Ven. If Axel, Roxas_ and _Demyx hadn't found him...," Vanitas trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. Not that he needed to. Ventus knew what he was afraid of saying._  
 _"I know you don't want to hear this, but there's nothing you can do about what happened_ already _" Ventus said, "The most you can do is just be there for him now. He remembered who you were."_  
 _"Yeah, that was_ amazing _" Vanitas said with a slight chuckle, "Looks like I'll have to write a thank you letter to Nickelodeon for playing reruns of Hey Arnold."_  
 _"Don't forget to thank Craig Bartlett too," Ventus said._  
 _"Who's that?"_  
 _"The creator of Hey Arnold?" Ventus said, surprised Vanitas didn't know that._  
 _"I'll add him to my_ christmas _cards," Vanitas said. Ventus laughed despite himself, a little happy that Vanitas now seemed to be in a more calm mood. He wasn't sure what mood Vanitas was in and why Vanitas felt the need to drag him out here with him but he was grateful for it._  
 _"What if it's not enough?" Vanitas asked._  
 _"Huh?"_  
 _"I couldn't look at Sora after a while when he was talking. As many times as I used to push Sora around, put paint in his hair, steal his snacks...nothing I did ever_ made _him as upset as he was in telling that story. I've never seen that look of shame and regret on somebody's face. He looked almost....humiliated. As if we were going to laugh at him or something. Or snide him," Vanitas explained._  
 _"Well, that's what he was used to," Ventus said._  
 _"Which makes it worse!" Vanitas said, finally sitting up. He turned his back away from Ventus behind him, a position Ventus knew all too well. They used to do this when they would talk because Ventus used to not want to see Vanitas's expression if he told him something embarrassing, "What if the damage that fucker did to him has gone beyond our control?_ There's _cases where people don't bounce back from stuff like that."_  
 _"Vanitas, there's no such thing as 'bounce back' from any type of situation related to that" Ventus said, "You just keep going. That's where the support comes from. And he has that now. Besides, with you as his cousin, he's got the best bodyguard around. You're mean as hell, but you can care when you want to."_  
 _"Why do I sense a double meaning in that statement?" Vanitas asked. Ventus shrugged._  
 _"There wasn't one but I'm not going to argue with you," Ventus said. It was a complete lie of course. There was a double meaning in that statement but Ventus wasn't going to press Vanitas right now. He was calm but that only made space for him to get angry again. This wasn't the time to bring up anything._  
 _There was another comfortable silence before Ventus felt pressure on his back as Vanitas leaned back._  
 _"Thanks" was all Vanitas said._  
 _"I didn't have a choice," Ventus said._  
 _"You could've left after I let go of you," Vanitas said._  
 _"Yeah, but you clearly needed someone to be here," Ventus said._  
 _"It's what you do best, even when it's unwanted," Vanitas said._  
 _"Yup," Ventus said. If only Vanitas ever did it when it was wanted, especially before._  
 _"We should go_ back _" Ventus said,_ straightening _up, "Sora might be a little hurt that you left after that."_  
 _That was all it took for Vanitas to jump up and together they walked back to the block._

While neither one of them had expected Sora's newfound happiness when they entered, Ventus wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't at least a little jealous. The compassion Vanitas was showing for his cousin was something Ventus always got scraps and bits of for years, always hoping that one day Vanitas wouldn't do it out of pity or guilt. With Sora, it just looked so genuine. Not weighted with guilt. But he had pushed it to the back of his mind when he started scratching his wrist.   
When they pulled up to Vanitas's block, Ventus stopped in front of his house.  
"About time, you drive slow," Vanitas said.  
"It's called staying within the speed limit. You wouldn't know anything about that," Ventus laughed.  
"Speed limits are for people who can't handle real driving," Vanitas said. He put his hand on the car door and paused for a moment.   
"Seriously, Ven. Thanks...for earlier," Vanitas said. He didn't give time for Ventus to respond before getting out and closing the door. Ventus drove off before Vanitas made it inside, a rush of emotions running through him that had overtaken him by surprise. Ten minutes later, he pulled into his own parking lot, sped walked through his front door. He only got as far as closing the door and getting to the stairs before he fell down and burst into tears.

_Cloud and Leon's House, Two Days Later_  
"Nothing," Cloud sighed exhaustingly. He and Leon had been at the computer for hours at a time the entire weekend, trying to see if they could find anything on Sora's parents murders. It was like the only thing they could find on the internet was that article Vanitas had brought up. There was nothing else. No phone records, nothing on the cruise, nothing about their funeral. It was almost as if the incident didn't even happen save for the one article they were provided with. Whoever did this clearly had done their homework and did not want to get caught.  
He closed his laptop in vain again, closing his eyes and rubbing his head. He was currently in his bedroom, while Leon, Sora, and the boys, now including Vanitas and Ventus, were all downstairs eating whatever Leon had ordered for dinner. Cloud was beginning to think there were too many people in this house, all boys too, but he had to put it aside. Sora was happiest to see Vanitas over and if making that kid happy meant having a full house then so be it. At least he had some calm while they were all at school.   
He didn't notice Leon enter the room until he realized that it just got darker in the room. When had the sun gone down?   
"Find anything?" Leon asked, standing behind him and massaging his shoulders.  
"No such luck. This person cleaned up their tracks good. Too good," Cloud said.   
"I honestly think we should call someone who's tech savvy...more savvy than me, that is," Leon smiled.   
"We can't. Sora's not a part of the foundation and if we contacted the authorities, it would just be a complete mess. All of us would probably be arrested for kidnapped, and Sora would probably never get the help he needs," Cloud said.   
"Well" Leon said, going deeper into his massage, "Let's put it to rest today. It's been three hours. I think you deserve a much needed break."  
Cloud leaned back into the massage. This was one of the many reasons Cloud married this man. His massages were seriously to die for. He was never able to go to another masseuse again after first receiving one from Leon.   
"Lay down so I can give you a proper massage," Leon whispered in his ear. Cloud groaned. He knew where Leon was getting at.  
"Leon, there are children downstairs," Cloud said even as he was making his way to the bed.  
"Who are completely full and probably about to watch a movie and call it a night," Leon said, straddling his husband who was laying on his stomach.   
"Downstairs is not that far away," Cloud said, although he knew this was a losing battle. Leon dug his hands into Cloud's back and Cloud almost forgot what Leon was really up to.   
"Then you be quiet, then," Leon chuckled, leaning down and kissed the back of Cloud's neck. He lifted up Cloud shirt and Cloud knew it was a losing battle.

Downstairs, 3AM  
Axel was so happy that Vanitas was there. Having Vanitas there was like a breath of fresh air for him. Now that Sora had his cousin, and was completely smitten with just his company, he took Roxas's place in sleeping in Sora's room. It's not like Vanitas obliged, only person who looked a little unease was Ventus but that was never important. The important part was that Roxas was now back downstairs, which meant Axel could get back to one of his favorite past times.  
Molesting his cute little blonde in his sleep.   
Which is what he was currently doing. He had gotten the blonde's shirt off a long time ago and was finishing up on making Roxas's nipples hard with his mouth. Roxas had a bead of sweat on his forehead and Axel mentally patted himself on the shoulder. Only he could make Roxas sweat that quickly. He carefully and slowly kissed his way down the blonde's stomach, his hands caressing his sides as he went lower and lower. When he reached the drawstring of the blonde's pajama pants, he smiled to himself.   
"Jackpot," Axel said to himself. He took a quick second to look around and make sure nobody was awake. Demyx was never an obstacle to worry about but Axel didn't know about Ventus's sleeping habits. Nobody did, except maybe Vanitas. Axel swore those two were screwing each other, no matter what Cloud or Ventus said.   
Ventus was facing away from them on the couch, snoring slightly. That was all the signs Axel needed. Just as his hands got in position to lift his boyfriend's hips, Axel's canine ears heard a door upstairs open. He slipped his hands from under Roxas and looked up. It might've been Cloud or Leon, who mysteriously disappeared around some time after they ordered take out, and it didn't take a genius to know why. He laid back down and pretended to be alseep, carefully peeking out of one eye. It was Sora coming down the steps, looking tired and a little upset. Axel watched as he walked into the kitchen and turned the light on.  
Kid probably wants water, Axel thought. And then remembered that he actually something to talk about with Sora. Ever since Roxas had mentioned it, Axel had started to realize that Sora, in his own little way, was avoiding him just a little bit. He basically used Roxas or Vanitas now as a blocker between himself and Axel. And Sora seemed a little hesitant during the week to ask Axel to get his water bottle when it was out of his reach where he was on the couch. Axel decided now was only time he was going to have a chance to talk to him one on one. He got up and walked into the kitchen. Sora was facing away from him, looking in the refrigerator for the water pitcher. He must've ran out of bottles upstairs.  
"Hey, it's Axel," Axel said, announcing himself. He saw the boy's body jump before he relaxed slightly and looked up, shutting the door,pitcher in hand.  
"Axel! Oh, you scared me," Sora said, letting out a breath.  
"I figured. That's why I announced myself" Axel said, "Hey, listen, can I talk to you?"  
"About what?" Sora asked, setting down the pitcher and looking for a glass in the cabinet.  
"I'm not good with beating around the bush so I'll just straight up ask you. Sora, are you scared of me?" Axel asked. Sora paused reaching for a glass upon hearing the question. He put his hand back down in thought, but didn't turn to face Axel.  
"Roxas said something about you being a little...hesitant around me since that incident in the kitchen that night when we were making spaghetti. Is that true? Are you scared of me?" Axel asked. Sora finally turned around to face him, biting the inside of his lip, not sure how to answer him.  
"You are, aren't you," Axel asked.  
"No...I'm-I'm not....it's just..." Sora struggled to get the words out. How was he going to put this?  
"Look, I'm really sorry for grabbing you that day, I just didn't want you to get burned," Axel said.  
"Yes. Yes, I know that. It was an accident...I'll admit I was a little...hesitant to be around you after that...but-but that's not why...Axel, I'm not scared of you, per say," Sora said, avoiding his eyes.  
"What do you mean, per say?" Axel asked. Now he was confused. If he wasn't scared of him, then what was it?  
"I was avoiding you because-because I felt kind of...guilty," Sora said.  
"Guilty? For what?"  
"I felt guilty because I was taking Roxas's time away from you. I promise I didn't mean to do it on purpose," Sora admitted.  
"Oh, is that all? Sora, please, Roxas's motherly instinct just kicked in after the first time we witnessed your night terror. No harm done," Axel said. So Sora wasn't scared of him, he just felt guilty?   
"Really?" Sora asked, "You're not mad?"  
"Mad? No! I felt bad because I thought you were avoiding me because of that kitchen incident. Sora, I would never be mad at you for taking up Roxas's time. A little jealous, yes, but I'm a jealous boyfriend, so there's no helping that. But don't feel bad about it. Roxas knows whose bed he belongs in at the end of the day," Axel said.  
"Um..okay?" Sora said, not really getting the end of that statement. He was relieved though. So Axel wasn't mad at him. That was good.  
"I feel a whole lot better now," Axel said, and he truly did. This whole time he thought he had scared the living daylights out of the kid and it turns out he thought he was being a boyfriend stealer. Axel was definitely more jealous than he was letting on, but he could let it go now that he knew Sora felt bad about it. At least he was aware about it.   
"Me too," Sora smiled at him, finally looking at him.   
"Well, now that that's settled, I'll leave you to your water. Is Vanitas awake?" Axel asked.  
"No, he's asleep on the floor," Sora replied.  
"How come you're not sleep? Not to sound like an a-hole, but you don't normally wake up unless...well..." Axel trailed off.  
"Unless I'm having a nightmare" Sora finished for him, nodding slightly. The sad face he had on earlier was reappearing. Axel quirked an eyebrow as he thought of something.  
"Um, Sora? Have you slept at all?" Axel asked.  
Sora took a moment of silence to answer before he slowly shook his head, admitting his actions.  
"Why can't you sleep? Were Cloud and Leon making too much noise having sex?" Axel asked, laughing.  
"Huh? What? When did Cloud and Leon do that?" Sora asked, confused.  
"Don't worry about it. Why can't you sleep?" Axel asked, changing the subject back to the original. Sora bit his lip, and if he were Roxas, Axel would've found that extremely sexy.   
"I'm scared...that I'm going to have a night terror while Vanitas is there," Sora said.  
"What's the problem with that? Vanitas will wake you up," Axel said.  
"I know but..." Sora trailed off, taking a huge breath in and then out. It took Axel a minute before he remembered something that Cloud had said when they first met Sora. He had said something about not staring at his scars on his legs because Sora was very self conscious of himself. Could it be that..?  
"You think Vanitas will leave if he sees you have a night terror?" Axel asked. Sora nodded.  
"Sora, look, you haven't known your cousin for a good couple of years. Let me enlighten you and say that Vanitas wouldn't leave you even if you tried to kill him in his sleep. He's a tough dude, almost as tough as me, and he's over the moon to see that you're alive. He's not going to think any different of you just because of your night terrors," Axel said.  
"You really think so?" Sora asked.  
"Yes, I do. And if anything, it'll just make Vanitas want to stay more so he can try and prevent them from happening. But you should get some sleep, sleep deprevation is not good for you. You start getting delirious and that's how people die in Freddy Kruger movies," Axel said. Sora laughed at that and Axel smiled. Sora nodded to himself and filled the glass with water.   
"You're probably right" Sora said as he put the pitcher back in the refrigerator. He grabbed his glass and walked past Axel.  
"Thanks, Axel," Sora said.  
"No problem," Axel said. Sora began towards the stairs and paused as he looked over to the other sleeping boys.  
"Does Roxas normally sleep with his shirt off?" Sora asked. Axel shrugged innocently. Sora shrugged as well before wishing Axel a goodnight and heading upstairs. Axel smiled and went back over to his sleeping bag, very intent on continuing what he was doing.

_Honey High, Last Year, May 13th_  
 _Vanitas was done waiting for Axel and the two morons to come. He was just about ready to get in his car, start his engine and leave. He wasn't in the mood today, he really wasn't. He didn't even know why he was that pissed off_ to _begin with. He blamed Ventus for his attitude. He had admitted his romantic feelings towards Vanitas and Vanitas had shut him down hard. Vanitas didn't think it was harsh. All he said was that he didn't feel the same way. That was all he said. He didn't say sorry, he didn't say anything but those six words. He said it and then he walked away before his emotions could get the better of him. There was no way he could date Ventus. He couldn't._  
 _As he was sitting there, lost in his own thoughts, he didn't even notice that Ventus had approached him until he swiped his hand in front of his face. Vanitas blinked._  
 _"Vanitas, I need to talk to you," Ventus said. Vanitas looked at Ventus in shock. That kid had some nerve coming to talk to him after he got shut down yesterday. What the hell did he want?_  
 _"About what?" Vanitas asked. He took in Ventus's state. Ventus looked troubled, that much was clear. His face was flushed, his eyes looked sad and he was shaking slightly._  
 _"It's about last_ week _" Ventus said, "Vanitas-"_  
 _"Ventus, please don't" Vanitas cut him off. He knew where this was going, "I can't deal with this right now, Ven, I'm not in the mood."_  
 _"No, Vanitas-"_  
 _"Ventus,_ don't _" Vanitas said, "I really don't want to hurt your feelings twice in_ once _week. I said all I had to say yesterday."_  
 _"Vanitas, I have to talk to you-"_  
 _"There you are!" Vanitas shouted, looking past Ventus. Ventus turned and saw his other friends, Axel, Demyx and Roxas walking towards Vanitas's car. Ventus turned back to Vanitas again._  
 _"Vanitas, please, I really need to talk to you," Ventus tried again. This was urgent. Why couldn't Vanitas see that?_  
 _"Ventus, I don't want to hear it," Vanitas said._  
 _"What's up,_ love birds _?" Axel asked as they arrived._  
 _"Axel!" Roxas exclaimed, hitting him._ Apparently _Axel had forgotten what happened between the blonde and black haired one the other week. Axel was already hopping into the front seat._  
 _"It's fine, Roxas," Ventus said, rather coldly. He didn't mean to do that, but it just happened. Roxas looked at him for a moment before getting in the car after Demyx. Vanitas turned to get in the driver's seat._  
 _"Vanitas, please, it's an emergency," Ventus begged one last time._  
 _"Ventus!" Vanitas said angrily, slamming his door shut, "Whatever it is, and I_ kow _exactly what it is, it can wait! I will see you tomorrow. Do not call me." Ventus stepped away from him, not expecting the outburst. Vanitas gave him one last hard glance before getting into his car and speeding off, leaving Ventus in the parking lot._

Annnd that's it for this chapter! The title might seem a little off but it makes more sense later. Any guesses on Ventus? Coming up in the story, the boys go to Ventus's house to go swimming, Vanitas and Ventus have a spat, and Sora discovers a big UH OH at Ventus's house! Stay tuned! Poof!


	16. Why Haven't You

Why Haven't You..?  
Sora was happier than he had been in a long time. He was used to waking up every morning, if he woke up at all, in the arms of a man who did nothing but torture and rape him. Or if the man wasn't there, then he was tied to the bed so he couldn't escape, as if he ever had the strength to. Now Sora could wake up in his own bed, still clothed, and was residing with two men who were happily married and took care of him, even if he knew he didn't deserve it. He had a set of some very cool people he guess he could call...friends. They spent time with him, didn't expect anything from him (sexual or normal wise), and they didn't seem to mind following the rules in the house, which Sora had just found out about only two weeks ago when Vanitas complained about one of them. Leon and Cloud had made rules for him? He knew about the slut rule, although he thought that rule was ridiculous. Sora was still a slut, just because he wasn't allowed to say it didn't mean it wasn't true, at least to him. Look at his past, how could he not be a slut? But Sora pushed it to the side, and decided to focus on more happier thoughts, like his cousin. He loved listening to Vanitas talk about his other family members. The memories that had come back to Sora were only those of Vanitas, and it still pained him that he couldn't remember his mother and father. He had printed out the picture from the newspaper article to keep for himself. Maybe if he looked at it long enough, maybe he will remember?   
While Sora was happier to have Vanitas and his other friends around, he wasn't sure if Cloud and Leon were happy about it. The boys were over almost every day, especially Vanitas who was over the moon to have his cousin back. Cloud and Leon claimed they didn't mind but Sora had a feeling they kind of missed having their house to themselves, even before Sora arrived. Sora, in a way, felt like a freeloader. He had no way to pay them back, and the only way he knew how they wouldn't let him. They said they just wanted Sora to get healthy. Well, he was healthy, so that meant Cloud and Leon were going to kick him out soon, right?   
Everyone was in the basement playing a heated game of Monopoly except for Sora and Ventus. Sora just didn't know how to play and Ventus just didn't want to, preferring to instead read the rules of the game to make sure nobody was cheating. Ventus didn't talk to Sora much, and Sora was a little curious as to why. Did he offend him in some way? Was he shy to talk to him? He seemed to mostly talk to Vanitas, and Sora learned from Roxas that those two were considered best friends within their group of friends. Sora guessed maybe Ventus was just quiet. He was okay with that. He was like that when the boys were first introduced to him.   
"And boom goes the dynamite!!! Broadway is mine!!" Demyx cheered gleefully.  
"Cheer all you want, you going to lose it in about thirty minutes," Vanitas laughed.   
"What's so great about Broadway?" Sora asked.  
"Broadway cost the most to land on. You're looking at least $4500 if he puts any properties on it," Vanitas explained.   
"When does someone win? This game is long," Sora said.  
"Whenever everyone but one person has any money left," Roxas groaned. He too was getting tired of the game but he had a different agenda behind it. He and Axel had made a side bet that whoever got to own Broadway first would get one wish. Axel clearly just wanted road-head and Roxas wanted Axel to never ask for it again. Looks like they both lost and the only one mad was Axel. Someone's phone started ringing.  
"Ventus, your phone is going off and since Vanitas is here, it must be a bill collector," Axel smirked. Ventus rolled his eyes and picked up his phone, going upstairs to answer the phone. Ventus had a solemn look on his face when he left, and Sora excused himself to go to the bathroom. As he made his way upstairs, he heard Ventus from the kitchen.   
"What do you mean you're not coming next week? You promised!" Ventus was saying. Sora paused. He knew he shouldn't be spying, he would be beaten if the man caught him when he was spying at that house, but he couldn't help it. Ventus sounded hurt.   
"Mom, you and dad didn't even know when I left that morning! That doesn't count," Ventus said. There was another moment as Sora assumed his mother was talking to him. He heard Ventus groan.   
"Mom, that's not fair! You guys keep doing this! You keep promising to come home and then something happens with either one of your careers and you change your mind! Has it ever occurred to that you that I may actually need you home?....No, nothing's wrong, the house is fine....Yes, but mom-...It's been a year! You don't even remember what the house looks like anymore, do you?! Dad-....I realize that but-....fine. No, it's fine. Forget it. I just wanted you to come home for a change....Yeah...I'll see you next time...Bye mom...love you too." Ventus sighed heavily as he clicked the end button on his phone. Sora watched as he stood there for a minute, not really moving, and it wasn't until he heard a sniffle that he realized that Ventus was crying. Sora felt bad. He didn't like seeing people cry, knowing that he's a crybaby himself. He backed away from the kitchen entrance and went downstairs.   
"Vanitas, can I talk to you?" Sora asked.   
"Sure, what is it?" Vanitas asked, not looking at him.  
"...In private, please?" Sora asked. Vanitas shrugged, got up from his seat on the couch, and followed Sora to the side room in the basement, the laundry room.   
"What's wrong?" Vanitas asked upon seeing Sora's troubled face.  
"It's not me...Um...I went upstairs and um...Ventus looks upset," Sora said.  
"Ventus always looks upset. Don't worry about it, Sora," Vanitas said.  
"No, I mean really upset. I think he was crying," Sora said. Vanitas was quiet for a moment, and then he sighed heavily.  
"He was probably talking to his parents then....damn, I didn't think it was that bad" Vanitas said, "Maybe that's why he's been upset."  
"I don't understand," Sora said. Vanitas hesitated before answering.   
"To sum it up, Ventus lives by himself, but not really by choice. His parents have these crazy jobs that always cause them to travel to a lot of different places, and because they wanted Ventus to have a real life, they let him stay at home to go to school," Vanitas explained.   
"Oh, so he's alone a lot?" Sora asked.  
"Yeah, but it's not that bad. He has all of us to keep him company, and he hangs out with me a lot. Plus, he just saw his parents while ago in California," Vanitas said.  
"He still seemed upset," Sora noted.  
"That's just how Ventus is. He's been like that for about a year now. He was never this...moody as he is now. But he won't tell me what's wrong so I've left him to his own devices," Vanitas said.  
"Well, I don't know Ventus really well, but I do know what it feels like to be lonely. Could you check on him, please? Roxas said you two were close," Sora said.  
"Roxas needs to shut his damn mouth" Vanitas mumbled, "Alright, I'll go and see him."  
"Thanks, Vanitas," Sora said. They walked back into the basement and Vanitas excused himself to go upstairs.   
"It's your turn!" Axel exclaimed.  
"Just skip me!" Vanitas called as he went upstairs. As Vanitas got upstairs and closed the door, he saw Ventus walking out of the kitchen, wiping his eyes.   
"You okay?" Vanitas asked, causing Ventus to stop and look up.  
"What?" Ventus asked, "Oh...Oh, it's nothing."  
"Don't tell me nothing, Sora saw you crying upstairs," Vanitas said. Ventus meant to scoff mentally, but it ended up coming out of his mouth.  
"What the hell was that for?" Vanitas asked.  
"Nothing, forget it," Ventus asked. Vanitas sighed.  
"Okay, let's back up and try again. Ventus, why were you crying in the kitchen?" Vanitas asked.  
"...You're going to think it's stupid," Ventus said, looking away.   
"Unless you were crying about JT dying in Degrassi, then I'm not going to think it's stupid," Vanitas said. He sat down on the couch and patted the seat next to him. Ventus sat down.   
"My parents aren't coming home next week," Ventus said, swallowing hard.   
"Again? Isn't this like the fourth time they've done this?" Vanitas asked.  
"It's the every time they've done this! I should be used to this by now," Ventus said.  
"Honestly, you should be," Vanitas said.  
"Gee, thanks Vanitas," Ventus said.  
"You know how I meant that. Listen Ven, there's nothing I can say that'll make the situation better. But Sora was upset that you were crying so I came up here to check on you. You going to be okay?" Vanitas asked.   
"Yeah. But I think I'm going to go home," Ventus said.  
"How, exactly? I drove us here," Vanitas said, "You're not leaving to go home and be all depressed because mommy and daddy can't make it. Just do what you normally do when they don't show up. Spend up their credit card bills and say it was an emergency," Vanitas said. He stood up from the couch and held out his hand to Ventus.  
"What?" Ventus asked.  
"You're coming back downstairs, come on," Vanitas asked. Ventus looked at him as if he misheard him, before pushing his hand away.   
"I'll go down on my own," Ventus said.  
"Suit yourself," Vanitas said, "Feel better."  
"Why are you acting so cold?" Ventus asked.   
"Why are you acting so depressed?" Vanitas asked back. Ventus looked away from him, and Vanitas took that as his answer and went back downstairs. Ventus went upstairs to the bathroom before he let another tear fall.   
By the time Ventus came downstairs, there seemed to have been a discussion going on about his house.  
"Oh, come on! I say we go!" Demyx said.  
"Go where?" Ventus asked.  
"To your house!" Demyx said.  
"Who the hell said anything about going to my house?" Ventus asked.  
"Because it's getting hot outside and you have an indoor pool!!" Demyx whined.   
"Your point?" Ventus asked.   
"Sora doesn't know how to swim, and we want to teach him," Vanitas said. He gave Ventus a look nobody else saw that very clearly read they were going whether he liked it or not.   
"That's all fine and dandy but did any of you actually ask me if that was okay? Or Cloud and Leon? They are in charge of Sora, you know," Ventus said. He didn't appreciate how the decision to go to his house was decided without him actually being in on the vote.   
"We'll get them down here, then," Axel said, disappearing upstairs.   
"Guys, I didn't say I wanted to go. I just want to learn how to swim is all," Sora said.   
"Yeah, and Ventus's house is the perfect place to do it. His pool is so advanced, it levels the water based on your height. So the chances of you drowning is like zero," Roxas said.   
"Yeah, but if Ventus doesn't want anyone to come over-"  
"It's fine, Sora" Ventus said, "A warning next time would just be nice." Sora had a feeling that it was all definitely not fine but he didn't want to argue with the boy. Axel came back down the stairs with Cloud and Leon, having already told them the situation.   
"Ventus, are you okay with that? This is your house they're talking about, and I have a feeling you were left out of the vote," Cloud said.  
"I don't care. They can come if they want to," Ventus said, shrugging.   
"Sora, do you really want to go?" Cloud asked. He was slightly worried about he idea. Sora had never been out the house, except to sit in the garden.   
"I mean...I'm not sure," Sora said truthfully. He was being honest. While he somewhat trusted all these boys, he wasn't sure about being by himself without Cloud and Leon a shout away. But he had Vanitas. Vanitas wouldn't let anything happen to him. He was sure of that.  
"I'll go...if Ventus is okay with that?" Sora asked, looking at Ventus.   
"Ventus already said he doesn't care. Hooray! Pool Party!" Demyx chimed in. Ventus gave a half smile. He supposed it wasn't so bad. Sora suddenly got up and hugged Ventus, shocking him.   
"Thanks, Ventus," Sora said.  
"Oh..um, no problem," Ventus said, not expecting the hug. Sora separated from him, squeezing his wrists. Ventus yelped and jumped back.  
"Ow!"  
"Oh, no! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Sora asked, worry in his eyes.   
"Yeah, ha,..um, my wrist is still a little sore from a dog bite. No worries," Ventus said nervously. He didn't expect that to hurt as much. Sora smiled, even though he still felt guilty for causing Ventus pain.

 

Wednesday Evening

  
Cloud had decided to drive Sora to Ventus's house, as Leon was taking a nap. When they pulled up to Ventus's house, Sora's eyes widened.   
"This looks expensive," Sora said.   
"Yeah, Ventus's parents make a shiny penny" Cloud said, "Listen, Sora, you sure you'll be okay by yourself?"  
"Yeah, I mean...I won't be by myself. I'll have Vanitas," Sora said. He knew he could count on Vanitas.   
"As long as you're sure. You have my spare cell phone. If you feel like it's too much, call me and I'll come get you, okay?" Cloud asked.   
"Yes. Thanks, Cloud. You and Leon have been so...," Sora trailed off, his voice catching in his throat.  
"Hey, it's okay" Cloud said, squeezing the boy's shoulder, "Don't think about it. Leon and I are used to doing this for kids."  
"Axel said you guys never took on a...'case' like mine," Sora said.  
"Well that may be true, but it doesn't matter. You're healthier than when we first saw you, and that's the important part," Cloud said. Sora looked at him.  
"Um, when I first got here, you and Leon said all you wanted from me was to get healthy. Well, since I'm healthy now, doesn't that mean I have to leave?" Sora asked.  
"What? Sora, we're not going to kick you out. You don't have anywhere to go" Cloud said, "Look, the kids we looked after had families and people to go back to. Until we get everything straightened out, you're staying with us. We don't mind. You're not going anywhere for a while, okay?"  
Sora thought for a moment and then he nodded. So Cloud and Leon weren't abandoning him. That was good. He still couldn't pay them back though. Sora waved Cloud goodbye as he got out the car. Cloud smiled sweetly and waited until Ventus opened the door to drive off.  
"Hey, Ventus," Sora said.  
"Hi" Ventus said, "You can follow me downstairs. Everyone else is already here."   
"Your house is huge" Sora said before he could stop himself as they walked through the threshold, the lobby, the living room, the space room and another room, "Don't you ever get lost in here?"   
"I used to" Ventus said, "But you get used to it after a while."   
They walked past the kitchen and down a flight of stairs that seemed separated from the rest of the house. Once they got downstairs, the smell of chlorine hit Sora's nostrils strong. He never seen a pool in person before and when they finally got to the pool room, his mouth dropped open in awe.  
The pool was huge. It was in the shape of a violin, with four ladders leading out of the pool and a diving board on one end. The room floor was pearly white and the walls were a cool shade of baby blue. There was currently a net in the middle of the pool, where the rest of the boys were playing a vicious game of volleyball. Demyx and Axel were on one team, while Vanitas and Roxas were on the other side. It was then that Sora realized the boys were shirtless, and he realized that in order to get into the pool, he had to take off his shirt.  
"You okay?" Ventus asked, noticing his uneasiness. The others didn't seem to notice that Sora was here.  
"Uh..." Sora said, "I forgot that you had to take off your shirt to get in the pool."  
Almost immediately, Ventus knew what Sora was getting at. He scratched the back of his head.   
"You don't have to take off your shirt if you don't want to. But it'll weigh you down and keep getting in your way if you keep it on while trying to swim," Ventus said. Sora was still nervous. The boys hadn't said anything about the scars on his legs that refused to heal but he knew the ones on his torso and back weren't exactly okay. If they saw them, they would see how shameful he really was.   
"Sora, it's okay" Ventus said, "If you want, you can keep your shirt on."  
"...No...um, just...-"  
"Hey, Sora! There you are!" Roxas waved as he turned around to get the ball. Everyone else turned around and immediately noticed that Sora looked upset.  
"Sora, what's wrong?" Vanitas asked.  
"Nothing! Um..," Sora stammered.  
"He doesn't want to take off his shirt," Ventus explained. Sora cringed a little at the statement. It wasn't wrong but it wasn't quite right either.   
"I just...don't want you guys to stare," Sora said sadly.  
"Sora, it's fine. You can keep your shirt on" Vanitas said.  
"Actually, if you go into the back room over there, there's some scuba type shirts in there. That way your own shirt won't weigh you down," Ventus said.  
"Really?" Sora asked.  
"Yeah, straight back there," Ventus said, pointing to the room behind him.   
"Thank you," Sora smiled before disappearing into the back. By the time he came back out, Ventus had his shirt off and was in the pool assisting Vanitas and Roxas who were both too short to be on the same team.   
"Hey, Sora! You ready to swim?" Axel asked, catching the ball. Sora nodded.   
"Demyx is teaching you because he's the best! Ven! Get over here so we can take down these losers!"  
"Excuse me!? One of these losers is your boyfriend!" Roxas exclaimed.  
"The only loser is your boyfriend!" Vanitas laughed. Demyx ducked under and swam under the water until he appeared in front of Sora at the edge of the pool.   
"The water isn't cold if you're wondering," Demyx said, holding out his hand, "Don't worry, you won't drown, the water is at the lowest height person in the pool which is you and Ventus. Come on."  
Sora hesitated for a moment, looking at the waves and ripples Demyx just standing there was causing. Sora slowly took his hand and let Demyx drag him down the stairs and into the pool. Once Sora's skin made contact with the water, he felt chills go up his spine and the slightly cool water hit him. When they were all the way in, the water was up to Sora's shoulders.   
"You okay, so far?" Demyx asked. Sora nodded.  
"It feels weird but I think I like it," Sora said. He liked feeling the water moving under him even though it wasn't really moving. it felt nice.   
"Okay, so one of the biggest fears people have about swimming is their face going under the water. So what we're going to do first is exactly that," Demyx said.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"You're going to duck under water. Engulf your entire body under water. That way, when you're swimming and you accidentally sink under, you won't be so shocked and panic," Demyx explained.  
"But-"  
"Just watch me," Demyx smiled. He closed his eyes, took a huge gulp of air and then held ducked under the water. Sora watched as his body underwater looked weird and wiggly until Demyx suddenly popped back up, wiping the water from his eyes.  
"See? Not so bad" Demyx said, regaining breath, "You want to try?"  
"I guess so?" Sora said, a little unsure. He looked down at the water, but made no move to go under it.   
"Here" Demyx said, holding out his hand, "We'll do it together." Sora smiled a little at that and grabbed onto Demyx's hand.   
"One. Two. Three" Demyx counted. Sora took a huge breath and slowly descended under the water with Demyx. He felt as the water pressed into him, and his ears made a funny bubbling noise as he was under water. He opened his eyes and immediately closed them and shot up out of the water, rubbing his eyes furiously.  
"You okay?" Demyx asked when he emerged.  
"My eyes are burning," Sora whined.  
"Oh no, did you open your eyes under water? Bad idea, dude. Chlorine makes your eyes hurt," Demyx laughed. When Sora was done rubbing the hurt out of his eyes, he and Demyx dunked under again, this time Sora kept his eyes closed. While they practiced over there, the other four boys were still playing.   
"Axel, you're too damn tall! This is cheating!" Roxas complained.   
"Not my problem you are all short. How about we go me against all of you once Sora learns how to swim?" Axel said.   
"He doesn't need to swim to play volleyball, as long as he can stand up. The water adjusts to shortest person," Roxas said.   
"He's having fun with Demyx, leave him be," Vanitas said.   
"I'm just happy he showed up, since Cloud and Leon aren't here," Roxas said.   
"Wasn't like he really had a chance to say no, lord knows I didn't," Ventus said, half laughing. Vanitas, having not taken the statement as a joke, suddenly slammed the volleyball straight across under the net, hitting Ventus square in the nose.  
"Ow!" Ventus exclaimed before he slipped under water from the force of the blow.  
"Foul!" Axel called.  
"Oh my god, Ven!" Roxas said, swimming under the net as Ventus reemerged from the water. Demyx and Sora stopped what they were doing upon hearing the shout. Sora was holding onto the edge of the pool, practicing kicking his legs as Demyx was teaching him.   
"What's going on over there?" Demyx called.   
"Ventus just got beamed," Axel said, almost in shock.   
"Vanitas, what the fuck!" Ventus hollered.   
"My hand slipped," Vanitas said  
"Fuck you!" Ventus yelled at him, trying to stop the blood fom dripping into the pool.   
"Hey, language!" Demyx said, covering Sora's ears, who half laughed at his motherly approach. Roxas helped Ventus maneuver his way to one of the four stairs in the pool. Ventus pushed him away as he made his way over to the towel rack and grabbed a small one to put under his nose. He walked towards the stairs leading out of the pool room and Vanitas followed suit.  
"I hope you're going to apologize!" Demyx said as both of them disappeared.   
When they both got upstairs, Ventus, having felt Vanitas behind him, he turned on him and slammed the pool door shut.  
"Vanitas, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" Ventus growled.  
"I didn't appreciate your little snide comment," Vanitas said, clear angry seeping through.  
"It was a fucking joke, you asshole!" Ventus said.   
"Joke, my ass! You know if you really didn't want us to come over, you could've said something, but don't drag my cousin into your damn pity party," Vanitas warned.   
"It was just a fucking comment, Vanitas! You didn't have to try and break my fucking nose! What is wrong with you?!" Ventus asked angrily. His nose was still burning even though the bleeding had stopped.   
"What's wrong with you?" Vanitas asked, "I didn't say anything for a while because I just assumed it was just you being your usual upset self, but after you scoffed at Sora coming to get me because he was worried about you this weekend, I'm getting annoyed."  
"At what!?" Ventus complained.   
"At your attitude towards Sora!" Vanitas yelled.  
"I haven't done anything to him!" Ventus said.   
"Yeah, except be bothered by his existence! Ever since we started spending time over there, you've had this weird attitude towards Sora and I don't know why! He was fucking worried about you last night and you scoffed at it! I'm sick of it!" Vanitas said.  
"I didn't scoff at him," Ventus said.  
"Then what the hell was the scoff for?" Vanitas asked.  
"It was directed at you!" Ventus said.   
"You scoffed at me because I was went to see if you were okay? Do you realize how messed up that is?!" Vanitas asked.  
"No, what's messed up is the fact that your damn cousin had to tell you to check up on me!" Ventus said.   
"What is that supposed to mean?" Vanitas asked.   
"Vanitas, you would've never came upstairs if Sora didn't tell you to!" Ventus said, "I bet you told Sora not to even worry about it, didn't you? Didn't you?"   
"You should be happy I went and checked on you at all," Vanitas said.   
"Yeah, and it would've meant something if you had actually done it of your own accord. You just did it to make Sora feel better," Ventus said, turning away from him.  
"Wait a minute" Vanitas said as he realized something, "...Are you jealous of my cousin?"  
"What?" Ventus asked, turning around.  
"You're jealous of Sora, aren't you?" Vanitas asked, "Are you seriously jealous because I'm spending more time with him? Dude, he's my fucking cousin!"  
"I didn't say I was jealous!" Ventus said.  
"That's the only fucking explanation as to why you would be having such a hissy fit! Ventus, that is so disrespectful! Have you been deaf this entire time? I thought he was dead! He was kidnapped, and raped and tortured by some bastard who needs to be buried thirteen fucking feet under the ground! And you're jealous because I'm spending time with someone who's close to me?!" Vanitas growled.  
"I didn't say I was jealous! You're just assuming that!" Ventus said.   
"Then tell me, to my face, right now, that you're not jealous of Sora. Say it right now," Vanitas demanded. Ventus opened his mouth to do just that, but then he closed it. Vanitas was right, he was jealous of Sora, but it wasn't because of what Vanitas thought it was.   
"I thought so" Vanitas said, "You are really pushing it, Ventus. I can't keep sitting here pretending that you're over me when we both know for a fact that you're not. We are not dating, I am not you boyfriend, and if you start making Sora feel guilty about spending time with me because of your issues, then you can consider yourself ghost to me. I'm not choosing between you and my cousin."  
Ventus eyes widened. Did Vanitas really just say that?   
"How can you say that? How can you say that after everything I've done for you!" Ventus said. How can Vanitas sit there and tell him that he would stop being his friend if he made Sora feel guilty? Vanitas didn't understand the situation at all. No one did.   
"Vanitas, you don't understand! If you would just listen to me for once in your fucking life!" Ventus screamed. Vanitas crossed his arms and stared at Ventus hard enough it made even Ventus a little scared.   
"I'm listening. Now what is it?" Vanitas asked. Ventus looked down away from him.  
"Don't bother. You don't even care. It's not going to change anything," Ventus said softly. He didn't move as Vanitas brushed past him and went back into the pool room, slamming the door shut. Ventus ran upstairs to his bedroom, also slamming his door.  
"What happened?" Sora asked as Vanitas came back downstairs. He was practicing his arm movement with Demyx.   
"Nothing. Ventus was having an attitude and got mad because I told him to fix it, that's all," Vanitas said, getting back into the water.   
"Did you two fight?" Roxas asked, knowing the answer already.   
"It's fine. He'll be back downstairs after his nose stops hurting," Vanitas said, brushing it off.   
"Demyx, can we pause for a minute, I have to pee," Sora said. Demyx nodded as Sora waded to the edge of the pool and got out.  
"Where's the bathroom?" Sora asked.  
"Upstairs next to the living room," Vanitas called. Sora nodded and went upstairs. As he was searching for the bathroom he still couldn't find, he heard a huge crash from upstairs onto the second floor.  
Was that Ventus? Sora thought. Ignoring his urge to pee, Sora crept up the front stairs, following the grunts and shouts coming from down the hall. He slowly made his way to end of the hall where a door was cracked. Ventus had slammed the door so hard it broke and bounced back open slightly. Sora stood by the door and listened. It was very obvious that Ventus was crying from the inside based on the shaky breaths and coughs Sora was hearing. Sora very slowly opened the door.  
"Ventus, are you o-" Sora stopped as Ventus looked up from the floor in shock, not expecting him. There was glass on the floor from a broken mirror and Ventus's wrist was bleeding. He dropped a shard from his hand when Sora spoke.  
"Oh my god! Ventus, you're bleeding! Are you alright?!" Sora asked, scared as he went to Ventus, using his towel to stop the bleeding. Sora thought some of the glass must've cut Ventus when the mirror broke. Ventus pulled away.  
"Why are you up here? Get out!" Ventus said through a cry.   
"We need to get you some bandages!" Sora said, grabbing for Ventus's wrist again. He caught it and this time, he wouldn't let Ventus get free as he pressed to stop the blood flow.  
"Get off me!" Ventus said, pulling on his wrist. He felt the towel leave his wrist and he wondered why Sora did that. But when he looked up he saw Sora's face.   
Sora was staring at his wrist. On Ventus's wrist was the cut he had just gotten from the glass shard, but there were other cuts as well, all around the same area. Sora looked at the glass shard on the floor and remembered that Ventus had dropped it when Sora surprised him. He looked back at Ventus's wrist, and then looked Ventus straight in the face. Sora could've sworn he saw his own reflection staring back at him. His eyes widened in realization. Ventus caught his eyes and his heart dropped.   
He knew. Sora knew.

  
My oh my, I couldn't wait to reveal Ventus's secret. Did anyone guess this in advance? Will Sora tell? Just for the record, this is only part one of Ventus's secret! Part two will be discovered in the next chapter! Man, things are getting heavy and Riku hasn't even shown up yet! I know this story looks like it's focusing more on Vanitas and Ventus than Sora, but I promise you, Sora's troubles are far from over, but we have to wait for just one more character to show up to start putting Sora's troubles into overdrive! But I wanted to make sure Ventus's issues became clear before Sora's problems come back into play. Stay tuned! Poof!


	17. Can You Keep a Secret?

Can You Keep A Secret?

  
Ventus knew he was in trouble. It was like Sora was staring straight through him. He had yet to let go of Ventus's wrist and he looked...was that sadness? Sora broke the silence.  
"I'm going to go get Vanitas," Sora said, rising.   
"No!" Ventus yelped, grabbing onto Sora's arm. Sora jumped but he didn't cower away. He turned back in shock.  
"Sora, you can't tell Vanitas! You can't!" Ventus said.   
"I have to tell somebody!" Sora said. Ventus was clearly in pain, why didn't he want anyone to know about this?  
"You can't tell anyone! Sora, please, you can't tell anyone about this!" Ventus said.   
"But why? Why would you do that to yourself?" Sora asked, concerned.   
"I-I..I can't tell you. But please, Sora, I will do anything you ask of me! Just don't tell anyone, especially not Vanitas!" Ventus begged, his voice cracking. If Vanitas ever found out about this, it would not be good.   
"Ventus-"  
"Sora, please!" Ventus said, staring in his eyes, "Swear to me you won't say anything! Please!"   
Sora was quiet for a long time and it worried Ventus more and more. He didn't know if this kid was going to tell or not. Sora couldn't tell. If he said anything to anyone, it would be catastrophic. Vanitas would hate him, his friends would think he's crazy, and his parents....Sora couldn't tell.   
After what seemed like a long time, Sora finally spoke.   
"Fine" Sora said, "I won't tell anyone."  
"You swear," Ventus said. It wasn't a question, it was a demand. Sora sighed in defeat.  
"I swear I won't tell anyone," Sora said.  
"Especially Vanitas," Ventus added.  
"Especially Vanitas. But Ventus, why?" Sora asked.  
"Just because, alright? I've got it under control, just...just forget that you ever saw anything," Ventus said.   
"Does it hurt?" Sora asked, staring at Ventus's wrists. Ventus let go of his hold on Sora's arm and placed his wrists behind his back.   
"It doesn't bother me," Ventus said. Suddenly they heard a voice coming from downstairs.  
"Sora?" the voice called. It was Vanitas. "Sora, where are you?"  
"I'm up here!" Sora called. He turned back to Ventus only to find him pulling his wristbands back on. Sora, not really knowing what to do, walked out and closed the door behind him as Vanitas had made it up the stairs.  
"Did you get lost on the way to the bathroom?" Vanitas asked, slightly laughing.  
"Uh, no, um-" Sora stammered.   
"What are you doing near Ven's room? Is he still throwing a hissy fit?" Vanitas asked with a hint of malice in his voice. Ventus grimaced from inside his bedroom. Vanitas really knew how to make someone hurt.   
"Oh, I was just going to check on him since he didn't come back down," Sora said.   
"And?" Vanitas asked. There a moment of silence that seemed like hours to Ventus. Was Sora going to keep his word?   
"He's sleeping," Sora decided. He held back his feeling of guilt. He knew Ventus wasn't sleep, and it hurt him that he couldn't tell his cousin what had really happened.   
"Figures. I hope he knows Axel and Demyx are eating him out of house and home," Vanitas said, turning back to go down the stairs. Sora followed after him, and paused at the top, wondering if Ventus was going to open the door. When he didn't, Sora sighed heavily and descended the stairs.   
Ventus didn't appear for the rest of the afternoon and it got darker as the boys decided not to go anywhere. Ventus's house, with his parents having the jobs they do, was big enough to accompany them all and he had plenty of video games, pool tables, movies, and TVs. It was like their own personal playhouse. Sora didn't really think it was okay for them to be doing all this while Ventus was upstairs doing who knows what. Sora's eyes saddened. Everyone was down here having a good time and Ventus was upstairs cutting himself. Sora always thought it was strange that people did that. He had read about it multiple books in the library about the reasonings behind people do it, one of the biggest being that the physical pain takes away the emotional pain. Sora wondered what emotional pain Ventus was feelings. Maybe it was because his parents weren't around? Sora wanted to ask Vanitas, but he was afraid that if he asked then Vanitas would catch on to what Ventus was doing, and Sora swore to Ventus he wouldn't tell. He didn't want to betray Ventus, even if telling would probably help him.   
"Is Ventus going to come back down? This is his house," Sora asked as the boys were playing Mario Kart.   
"Don't worry about it, Sora, Ventus does this all the time," Roxas said.   
"He does?" Sora asked.  
"Yup" Axel said, "We come over and he turns in for the night and then we eat him out of house and home. But he just buys more later. He knows we're still here. Trust me, he's fine with it. Damnnit, Roxas! Fuck you and your turtle!"   
"He does normally come back down at this point. It's almost damn near midnight," Vanitas mumbled to himself. He wasn't going to lie, he was a little concerned by this hour. Ventus would normally at least come back down to check on them before he really turned in for the night. Vanitas had a feeling he was to blame for the prolonged absence. He was really hard on Ventus earlier. But how was he supposed to act? Ventus was clearly jealous about Vanitas spending time with Sora, and Vanitas found that extremely childish. Ventus had helped Vanitas cope with Sora's previously thought death and now he was mad he was alive and around him? That Vanitas wouldn't tolerate.   
But maybe he shouldn't have hit him with the volleyball. Vanitas wasn't going to lie to himself, he felt like the shit the second the ball left his hand. He hadn't meant to really. He heard something bad about his cousin and he just did it on instinct. He hated seeing Ventus cry, it always made Vanitas want to...well it made Vanitas feel bad.   
"Vanitas, maybe you should go check on him?" Sora asked.   
"He was sleep earlier, wasn't he? Knowing Ventus, he probably woke back up, snuck down the other stairs to get a bottle of water and then went back to sleep," Vanitas said, laughing as he knew Demyx was about destroy everyone else in the game with the special power he just picked up.   
"Could you? Please?" Sora asked.  
"Why?" Vanitas asked. Why the hell was his cousin so insistent on him checking up on Ventus?   
"Well, you did hit him with a volleyball. I just want to make sure he didn't suffer any brain damage," Sora said sadly. Now Vanitas really felt bad. He actually hadn't thought of that. Damnit, why did he have to hit Ventus with the damn ball?   
Vanitas sighed and got up from his seat on the couch just as Demyx won the game and hollered in victory.  
"Again, you asshole!" Axel called.   
"I'll be back," Vanitas said as he went towards the hallway stairs. He climbed up and turned to go down the hall to Ventus's room. He knocked first and waited for an answer. When he didn't hear anything, he turned the door, knowing it was unlocked, and opened the door. Ventus was laying away from him, towards the window, and Vanitas could tell from the way his body was moving that he was clearly asleep. Vanitas made a move to walk towards him, and he paused as his foot cracked on something.   
"What the fuck?" Vanitas asked as he looked down. There were glass shards all over the floor. Vanitas looked over and saw that the mirror on Ventus's wall was shattered.   
"What the fuck?" Vanitas asked again. Did Ventus break the fucking mirror because of their fight? He heard rustling in front of him and he paused to watch as Ventus moved to face his side of the room, still asleep. His face hit the pillow and he grimaced as his nose made contact with the pillow sheet. If Vanitas didn't feel like complete shit then, he sure did now. Ventus's nose still hurt.   
"Why do you get my nerves so much?" Vanitas asked quietly as he knelt down and brushed a piece of hair from Ventus's face. He stared at him for while, not really sure what to do. He felt that urge again tugging too close to his heart, and just to make it subside, he gently pressed a kiss to Ventus's forehead before raising up and stepping over the glass to walk out the room. He would ask Ventus about the mirror at a later time.

Three Days Later:

  
Ventus was pretty sure he was going to kill Sora. While the kid had kept his promise and didn't tell anyone about what he saw, Sora was making it extremely hard to continue, and Ventus couldn't function right if he had the urge to do it. Sora would interject himself into a conversation with Ventus and Vanitas if it seemed that the two of them were going to argue. And then if Ventus walked out, which was most of the time, Sora would follow him or text him and ask him if he was okay and if he cut himself again. Ventus didn't like this at all. He was trying to keep Sora at bay, but anytime he almost fussed at him, he thought about what Vanitas would do if Sora's feelings got hurt and he went to Vanitas to say anything. Ventus would be isolated for sure and he really didn't want that. He was trying to respect Vanitas's wishes, and be nice to Sora, but Sora's constant concern was making it hard for him. The worst part was that they only had one week of school left, which meant he would be seeing Sora way more often. Ventus wasn't sure if he could handle it.   
It was currently night time, and they were all once again at Cloud and Leon's, Cloud and Leon having stepped out for the night to go have some time alone. They didn't mind the boys staying there, but taking care of Sora and having the boys over almost constantly was taking a toll on them. It was actually Sora who told them to go out and enjoy themselves. Said person was currently asleep on the couch, his head in Vanitas's lap as Vanitas was reading a book. Axel and Roxas were in the kitchen, supposed to be making pizza bites but Ventus had a feeling they were doing something else, and Demyx was in the other room, talking to his boyfriend Zemyx. Ventus sat in the armchair by himself, playing on his phone.   
"You okay?" Vanitas suddenly asked. It took a minute before Ventus realized he was talking to him. He looked up from his phone.   
"Huh? Um, yeah. I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Ventus asked, thinking immediately that Sora somehow told Vanitas what he saw.   
"Is your nose still burning?" Vanitas asked, clarifying the situation.  
"Oh...not really. I mean, it hurts to sneeze a little but that's it," Ventus said. He didn't get it. Why the hell was Vanitas asked about his nose? There was a long silence and Ventus was about to go back to his phone when Vanitas finally spoke up.  
"Look...I'm sorry about hitting you with the volleyball. I acted on instinct and it wasn't fair to you," Vanitas said, not looking up from his book. Ventus was shocked. Vanitas apologizing wasn't new to him, no matter how rare it was, but admitting that it wasn't fair was another thing. Did Vanitas care after all?   
"Sora said I couldn't given you brain damage, and I didn't think about that. I'm glad you're okay though. And I'm sorry for hitting you," Vanitas said. He hated apologzing.   
Ventus's hopes were smashed the second Sora's name came out of Vanitas's mouth. He should've known better. As mad as Vanitas was with him over false accusations, Ventus should've known it was Sora guilt tripping Vanitas into saying sorry. Why did Ventus think for even a second that Vanitas was truly concerned about hitting him?   
Ventus hadn't noticed he had started scratching his wrist, but just as he was about to get up and attend to it, Sora groaned in his sleep and shifted slightly. Vanitas put the book aside immediately. Sora started moving more gradually, and he turned his head in Vanitas's lap, sweat starting to form on his forehead and he whimpered painfully.   
"What's going on?" Ventus asked, setting his phone down.   
"I think he's having a nightmare," Vanitas said. Ventus got up and went into the kitchen to get Axel and Roxas. Just as he had suspected, the two lover were making out against the refrigerator. Ventus cleared his throat loudly and the two jumped as they split apart.   
"One. Make the damn pizza bites. And two. Come into the living room," Ventus said.   
"Can't you see we busy?" Axel asked.   
"It looks like Sora's having a nightmare," Ventus said. Both Axel and Roxas's eyes widened.   
"Shit, you serious?" Axel asked as he and Roxas walked past Ventus and into the living room. Sora was moving so much that Vanitas had actually got up from the couch and was leaning over it instead, trying to get Sora to wake up. Sora was tossig and turning, and it was slowly getting more violent as he was mumbling things to himself and grimacing and jerking.   
"He won't wake up," Vanitas said.   
"He's not going to," Axel said. He had forgotten about Sora's night terrors. Ventus and Vanitas had never been around to witness this, and Sora's nightmares had lessoned from happening every night. Roxas brought in a wet towel from the kitchen, and Axel used it to swipe the sweat from Sora's forehead, slightly difficult thanks to Sora moving. Just as Demyx came back in the room and half assessed what was going on, Sora let out an extremely loud scream of pain that made everyone jump back.   
"Ah! Stop it! Stop it, please! It hurts! It hurts, stop! Take it out, please! Please! Ah!" Sora screamed, swiping out and almost knocking Axel in the forehead. Vanitas was in complete shock. Sora had said that he had nightmares, but this was on another level. And the fact that he knew who was probably tormenting Sora in the dream was making him extremely angry. Roxas had grabbed Sora's flailing hands, trying to calm him as Axel shook his shoulders.   
"Sora! Sora, wake up!" Axel called, wishing Cloud and Leon were here. He knew what was going to happen when Sora woke up, and honestly none of them had ever been in the room when Cloud and Leon helped him through it. They didn't know what to do.   
"Stop it!" Sora yelled.   
"Sora, wake up!" Axel shouted. He gripped Sora's shoulders hard and shook him. Suddenly, Sora shot up awake, and he knocked his head with Roxas's nose who didn't get out of the way in time. Roxas backed away, holding his nose in pain as Sora fell back onto the sofa, awake and shaking, not even registering the headbutt.  
"Sora, you okay?" Axel asked. Sora closed his eyes, trying to control his breathing. He didn't nod. He knew what was going to happen next and he wanted nothing more than to get to his room. He shot off the couch and only made it to the first step before it happened. He felt a slash on his back and he yelped as he fell to the floor in pain. Vanitas and Axel were to him in a second.  
"Sora, what happened?" Vanitas asked. Sora didn't answer him, and he gasped and coughed as he arched his back, like he was flinching away from something. Vanitas grabbed his shoulders, and Sora, who didn't really know it was Vanitas, grabbed onto him for deal life, digging his nails into Vanitas's shoulders as he shouted in pain again.  
"What the fuck is going on?! I thought he woke up!" Vanitas said.   
"We'll explain later just...I don't even know right now," Axel said as he dodged Sora's foot when it swung out.   
"Cloud and Leon normally handle this," Roxas said.   
"What is this?" Ventus asked. He didn't get an answer. Nobody knew what to do and Vanitas didn't move, not that he could with Sora's vice grip on his shoulders. After about fifteen minutes, the longest fifteen minutes the boys' lives, Sora suddenly paused, sighed heavily, and he collapsed into Vanita's arms.   
"Please tell me it's over," Ventus said.   
"It is," Roxas said. Axel sat back, wiping his brow. In the end, they just had to let Sora finish it out. Sora took a deep breath and looked up at his cousin.  
"Vanitas?" Sora asked.  
"You okay?" Vanitas asked, clear concern in his voice.   
"I'm-I'm sorry," Sora said, tears forming in his eyes.  
"What are you apologizing for? And why are you crying? Nothing's wrong," Vanitas said. Sora pushed away from him and ran up the stairs, Vanitas calling after him.  
"What happened?" Vanitas asked, turning back to the other boys.  
"He's most likely embarrassed. That was his reaction when it we first witnessed it," Demyx said.   
"But what was that?" Vanitas asked, getting angry that his question was getting ignored.   
"It's some type of hypnosis" Roxas replied, "Cloud and Leon won't tell us the whole story, but basically that...man did some weird shit where if Sora has a nightmare about him, then when he wakes up, he's still going to feel whatever it was he was doing to him in his dream but in real life."   
"How the fuck do you even do that?" Ventus asked, but he didn't want his question answered. Vanitas got up from the floor and went upstairs to console his cousin. Axel and Roxas got to actually make the pizza bites, figuring maybe some food will make Sora feel better when he comes back downstairs. Demyx went to go call Cloud and Leon and when everyone disappeared, Ventus crept up the stairs. He listened from outside Sora's door, who was currently crying.  
"Sora, there's nothing to cry about," Vanitas was saying. Sora hiccuped.   
"I-I never-I never wanted you to see-see that," Sora said, sniffling.   
"Well, I'm glad I did," Vanitas said.   
"What?" Sora asked.   
"Sora, I know you told me that you had nightmares, but you didn't tell me about...that after thing. And I wish you had. I didn't know it was that bad," Vanitas said.  
"It doesn't happen...as much as it used to," Sora said.   
"Yes, but the fact that it happens at all is not good. Have Cloud and Leon tried to find someone that could reverse it?" Vanitas asked.   
"Nobody knows how to undo it" Sora said, "They always say it's above their abilites and to call someone else. But I've learned to deal with it," Sora said.   
"What did he do when you had them?" Vanitas asked. Sora looked at his cousin in surprise. Cloud and Leon never asked him that. Cloud, Leon and the boys didn't ask him about his past. Cloud and Leon had told them not to, and they only asked once themselves.   
"Wh-what?" Sora asked.  
"That man. What did he do when that happened?" Vanitas asked. Sora didn't understand. Why was his cousin asking him to recall his past? He turned away from him.   
"Well...it depended really. If I woke him up...he'd punch me. Sometimes he would laugh at me, and other times he would...hurt me...just to prove a point," Sora said. He wasn't used to talking about this. He felt the tightening in his throat again, and he was trying his best to hold back the tears. Vanitas wrapped his arms around him.   
"You can cry if you want to. I know I said there's nothing to cry about but you can cry if you need to. I'd rather you not hold it in. You're going to torture yourself doing that. That's why I asked you what he did when that happened, because I know you think we're going to judge you. And I think I can speak for everyone else downstairs when I tell you that we're not. It's okay. You've been through a lot, but you're not alone anymore. You have Cloud, you have Leon, the guys, and most importantly, you have me. You're safe now, but I need you to talk about it, or it's going to eat you alive. You know I'll listen, don't you? I'm here for you. It's alright," Vanitas said. Sora's bottom lip trembled and he bit it as the tears started falling. He grabbed his cousin around the neck and cried into his shoulder. Vanitas rubbed small circles on his back, letting him drench his shirt with the tears.   
Neither of them heard Ventus on the floor crying outside the door. He pushed himself up from the floor and ran to the nearest bathroom, slamming the door shut. He pulled off his wristband violently took out the razor blade he kept in his wallet.   
"Stupid fucking hypocrite!" Ventus mumbled to himself. He pressed the blade to his skin. _Who the hell does Vanitas think he is?! The fucking hypocrite! "I'm here for you" "You should talk about it" "You're not alone anymore". BULLSHIT!! Where the fuck was this Vanitas when I needed him?! He fucking shunned me! He never wants to talk to me! He never listens to me! Where the fuck was Vanitas?! WHERE THE FUCK WAS ANYONE!!!!_  
Ventus had slid the blade across his four times and he hadn't even noticed until he went to hit his forehead and felt the blood. He looked at his wrist and sighed. At least it was done. It didn't stop the tears coming down his face but the pain had subsided. He rinsed off his wrist, and quickly dried it before putting his wristband back on. When came back out of the bathroom after checking that his eyes were no longer red, he jumped at finding Sora at the door.   
"Sora, Jesus Christ! You scared me!" Ventus said.   
"Vanitas and I heard a door slam and we just wanted to make sure everything was okay," Sora said, not expecting Ventus's outburst.   
"Everything's fine, I went to take a piss," Ventus said. Sora stared at him for a long time and when he looked down at his wrists, Ventus made the horrible mistake of putting his hands behind his back. Bad move.   
"Ventus? Did you-" Sora started but Ventus brushed past him and down the stairs. Sora stared after him. He really wanted to tell Vanitas, but he promised Ventus he wouldn't.   
"What's wrong with Ventus?" Vanitas asked as he came out the bedroom, noticing Ventus storm down the stairs.   
"Nothing...I just startled him is all," Sora said, turning around and slightly laughing to hide his nerves.   
"You ready to go back downstairs?" Vanitas asked.  
"Yeah," Sora smiled as he followed Vanitas to the stairs.

 _This is extremely short for me, but I had to add in this last bit. We are skipping ahead very much for the next chapter, but I wanted to establish the whole Vanitas and Ventus situation but still leave some mystery to_ these two history _. There's still one more thing to Ventus's pain, and Vanitas's confused feelings towards Ven, but we are moving our way back to Sora. Why? Well, first and foremost because the story is about and second of all, we have another new character coming into the picture! Can anyone guess who it is? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	18. You Can't Decide

You Can't Decide

  
"No," Cloud said.   
"Aw, come on, Cloud!"  
"I said no."  
"But Cloud, I think it would better if he went."  
"He's not ready," Cloud said. He, Leon and the boys were currently sitting in the living room, having a debate.  
"Come on, Cloud. Maybe it is better if Sora goes to school," Leon said. He honestly thought the idea was a good one. He didn't understand why Cloud was so against it.   
"Leon, I teach kids online. Sora can just be there when I do it," Cloud said.   
"He needs to be around actual kids, Cloud," Leon said.   
"He is around kids, do you see these guys?" Cloud asked, gesturing around the room. Sora was currently upstairs taking a nap, so he wasn't in the discussion.   
"Cloud, what's the big deal? You know nobody in school messes with us. Half of them are scared of Vanitas and I," Axel said.  
"Yeah, and as soon they realize that he's hanging with us, they won't bother him," Roxas said.   
"But he won't be with you all, all the time that is. He's going to have different classes than you. He's a year younger in terms of school," Cloud said.   
"Okay, so he'll be with Roxas half the time. Roxas is going to be a Junior. And Sora took your online test. He qualifies as a Junior. He'll be fine," Vanitas said. Nobody understood why Cloud was so against this.   
"Cloud, you know how important it is that kids get an education. And Sora might like school. If he doesn't, if he can't handle it, then you can homeschool him," Leon said, rubbing his boyfriend's arm. Cloud sighed in defeat. It was obvious he wasn't going to win this battle.   
"I...I guess it's okay then. But if Sora doesn't want to go at all, then I'm homeschooling him," Cloud pointed out.   
"Deal!" all of them said.   
"Cloud, come with me real quick," Leon said, pulling his husband up the stairs as the boys went about their business. He closed their bedroom door as Cloud sat on the bed.   
"Now, Cloud, what's the real problem?" Leon asked, sitting on the bed with him.  
"What? I told you. I just don't want Sora to get picked on in school. He's a fragile child, even recovered as he is. You know that," Cloud said. Leon raised an eyebrow.   
"You're growing attached to him, aren't you?" Leon asked.   
"I get attached to all the kids," Cloud said.   
"No, but you're getting really attached to Sora, aren't you? We've never had a case like his, and you are always convincing the kids to go back to school. Hell, you used to pack their lunch every morning and make sure their homework was done. You were a whole soccer mom. And now all of a sudden you don't want Sora to go to school? That's not like you....You're attached to him, aren't you?" Leon asked. Cloud sighed and looked at his husband with sad eyes, but he nodded nonetheless. Leon chuckled.  
"I thought so," Leon smiled, "You're going to miss your morning walk buddy. He'll be fine, Cloud. He's got a whole group of friends now, two of them quite violent to say the least. He will be okay."  
"It's still his decision to go though. He might not be able to handle it," Cloud said. Leon kissed Cloud on the forehead.   
"Hey, hey. Let Sora decide on that," Leon said.   
"Let Sora decide on what?" a small voice asked from the door. Leon and Cloud looked up to find a slightly sleepy Sora at the door.   
"Oh, you're awake. You okay?" Cloud asked, standing up.   
"Yeah. I heard some cheering and it kind of woke me up but it's fine. But what were you talking about just now? What decision?" Sora asked.   
"Oh. Um, well...Sora come sit down," Cloud said, gesturing to the bed. Leon moved over as Sora sat next to him and Cloud on the other side.   
"What's going on?" Sora asked.  
"Um, well, Sora...you've been living with us for a while now...and while it's been rather...unusual to say the least-"   
"You're kicking me out, aren't you?" Sora asked, cutting Cloud off.  
"What?" Cloud asked.  
"You said it when I first got here. You just wanted me to get healthy in exchange for your kindness. Well, I mean, I'm healthier than I was. That means I have to leave now, right?" Sora asked. He was afraid this was going to come eventually. Once he was healthy, he would have to leave. He didn't have anywhere to go, and it honestly scared him to think of even going back to that horrid place. Leon placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Sora, Sora, no, that's not it at all," Leon said.  
"But you said-"  
"I know what I said" Leon said, "But I never said you had to leave after that. We just wanted you to be able to walk and eat on your own. You didn't let me finish just now. We were going to ask you that since you've gotten pretty used to Cloud and I, and even the boys downstairs, we were wondering if you wanted to...expand your horizons a bit."  
"What do you mean?" Sora asked.   
"Sora...how would you feel about going to school? With the boys?" Leon asked.   
"School? Like an actual school?" Sora asked.   
"You don't have to if you don't want to" Cloud chirped in, "It's just a suggestion."  
"We just figured you'd like to be around kids your age that doesn't require them to be here all the time. And you can learn some pretty cool things at school. It's not like you'll be lonely. The boys all go to the same school," Leon said.  
"But I'm not your child. How would I even enroll?" Sora asked. They wanted him to go to school?  
"Oh, that's not a problem, Sora. We've enrolled absolute orphans into the education system. The system is more concerned about children getting an education, parent or no parent," Leon said.   
"Do you want me to go to school?" Sora asked. Was this their way of trying to get rid of him?  
"Cloud would prefer you stay here with him all day like usual. I, personally, think it would be good for you to get out of the house and have some fun with the kids. And while school can be stressful at times, it's something every kid should experience, even if only once. The choice is completely up to you though. If you don't want to go, that's fine. If you do, we can have you enrolled for this upcoming school year," Leon explained.   
"Would...would the school people have to know about...?" Sora trailed off. Leon shook his head.  
"That is none of the school's business. All they'll want to know is how smart you are so they can place you in the correct grade. But I've seen you help Roxas and Demyx with their homework, so I think you'll be just fine as a sophomore or junior. You and Roxas may even share the same classes," Leon said. Sora really was a bright kid, and Leon had to assume it must've been the books he read in that horrible house.   
"The choice is yours, Sora," Cloud said, "You don't have to go, we just want to give you the opportunity to have that choice."  
Sora didn't reply for a moment. Did he want to go to school? He's read many novels about high school. Kids were mean. Kids were bullies to people who had problems back at home or wherever they came from. But there were also a lot of things he thought sounded fun at school. Like prom, and homecoming, and goofing off at lunchtime, and theater, and art class. Like Leon said, he wouldn't be alone, he would have the guys with him. But what if the kids at school didn't like him? What if he got bullied? What if he couldn't keep up with the rest of the kids? But school was something he always dreamed about after reading those books. The good, in a way, outweighed the bad scenarios. And Leon was right, Sora actually did want a proper education.   
"Well?" Leon asked.   
"Yeah. I think I want to go to school," Sora nodded. The guys will be there with him. Everything would be fine. Leon smiled brightly and Cloud smiled as well, even if it wasn't as bright.   
"That's great to hear. Let us go tell the peanut gallery downstairs," Leon said, standing up. The other two got up as well and went downstairs, where Sora was met with hoots and hollers of joy when he told them his decision.   
"Hey, Sora, don't you worry about school at all! You got all of us, and I promise you half the school is scared of your cousin and me! You're protected," Axel said. Sora nodded and smiled despite himself. He looked about the room in confusion.   
"Where's Ventus?" Sora asked, already fearing the worst. He didn't see the bathroom door upstairs closed. If Ventus went to go do what Sora thinks, Sora was already worried. The others, except Vanitas, actually looked around the room in confusion.  
"Oh shit, wait, where did Ventus go?" Roxas asked.  
"How did none of us notice he left the room?" Axel asked in confusion.   
"He left like almost immediately after Leon and Cloud went upstairs. Had an errand to do apparently," Vanitas said calmly from the armchair.  
"Damn, he could've said something," Demyx said.   
"Maybe he did. Nobody really tends to hear him a lot," Sora said sadly. That was one of the things he had noticed since Ventus and Vanitas began hanging out with them. Anytime Ventus spoke it didn't seem as if anyone with the exception of Vanitas sometimes, ever really listened to him. He would say something and either be interrupted or the statement would just be ignored. Sora had made a point to say something to Ventus whenever he could, but Ventus was still cold towards him and he didn't understand why. He just wanted to make sure Ventus didn't go hurt himself. He also noticed that Ventus always seemed to disappear after having a spat with Vanitas, which Sora had taken upon himself to try and defuse before the fight would escalate and make Ventus leave. Vanitas didn't seem to be bothered by it, but Sora knew what Ventus was going to do when he left so he tried to stop it any way he could.   
"Probably," Axel said, shrugging it off, "Ventus likes just disappearing on us." Sora frowned slightly. There it was again. Vanitas looked up from his phone just in time to catch Sora's frown.   
"Sora, why the face?" Vanitas asked.  
"What? Oh, nothing," Sora said slowly. Vanitas sighed.  
"Sora, don't worry yourself over Ventus. I know he seems a little upset about something but I promise you that's his resting natural face," Vanitas said.  
"Yeah, it's either that or him and pepper over there had a lover's spat," Demyx laughed.  
"We are not lovers," Vanitas said coldly. Axel snorted.  
"You might as well be with the way you two argue. Like a damned married couple," Axel said.  
"Wow, thanks," Cloud said, crossing his arms.   
"Oh, you know what I mean," Axel said.

 _Later that Night_  
"Marco!" Roxas shouted.  
"Polo!" he heard someone call on his left. He put his foot out to make sure he didn't hit anything, although that was almost impossible. All of them were currently playing a horrid game of Marco Polo at the moment, although they agreed that Sora would never be it for the sole fact of Sora wasn't comfortable being blindfolded. Sora didn't want the game to be unfair, so he just warned the it player whenever they were about to run into a wall instead of actually playing. They had moved the furniture to the other room to leave the living room almost completely bare save for one couch.   
"Marco!" Roxas cried.  
"Polo!" Everyone said. Vanitas was sitting on the steps next to Sora, not wanting to play, so that left Roxas, Axel, Demyx and even Cloud and Leon to play. Sora watched in excitement as Roxas almost grabbed Demyx who manuevered under his hand and scurried away. Roxas grimaced.  
"Damnnit! I knew I almost had somebody, who was it?" Roxas asked.  
"Demyx," Sora called.  
"Marco!" Roxas called.   
"Polo!" everyone cried. Roxas paused and listened for movement. He stopped long enough to feel the floor moving from behind him but just as he swiped around to grab someone, he felt them brush past his hand.  
"Gotta be faster than that, babe!" Axel called, laughing. Vanitas rolled his eyes, more interested in his phone at the moment. He was reading an article on his phone when a message popped up on his phone from Ventus.

  
 _V: I just listened for an hour of my parents explaining why they won't be visiting next month. I think that's the most they've spoken to me without an interruption in a whole year._  
 _Van: At this point, I don't see why you even expect them to come at this point._  
 _Ven: They make good on their promise sometimes._  
 _Van: Yeah when the damn moon is blue. For someone who lives by themselves, you sure need mommy and daddy a lot._  
 _Ven: I don't need them_!...Just _wish they would come home sometimes._  
 _Van: We're not having this conversation again._  
 _Ven: You can't keep saying that every time I bring this up._  
 _Van: Yes I can, there's nothing to talk about. You bitch and moan about this all the time, you should be over it. You've got people who care about you over here. Even Sora cares about you and he doesn't even know you._  
 _Ven: Forget it, then. Forget I fucking mentioned it._  
 _Van: Look, why don't you come back over? They're over here playing Marco Polo._  
 _Ven: So? I don't even like that game._  
 _Van: It's better than you brooding at your house for the rest of the night._  
 _Ven: Actually, if you want to come over here, I have alcohol._  
 _Van: Magic words._

  
"Finally! Caught you!" Roxas cheered as he grabbed onto Cloud's arm.   
"About time! Took you a good fifteen minutes!" Demyx mocked.   
"I'm not trying to walk into a wall!" Roxas said.  
"That's what Sora's here for!" Cloud laughed as he let Roxas tie the cloth around his eyes. Vanitas stood up.  
"I'm calling it a night. Going home," Vanitas announced.  
"You're not spending the night?" Sora asked. Vanitas usually spends the night on the weekends.  
"Nope, not this time. I'll see you tomorrow though," Vanitas said, hugging his cousin on the steps before grabbing his bag off the steps.   
"You know, I'm a little jealous that only Sora gets a hug from you," Roxas said.  
"Because the rest of you irk my soul. Bye," Vanitas said, heading out the door, closing it before anyone even said a proper goodbye. Sora yawned.   
"Actually, guys, I might call it a night too. I'm getting sleepy," Sora said.   
"How is it you can take a nap and still go to bed?" Demyx asked. Sora shrugged.  
"I don't know. I just do," Sora said.  
"Well, it's a good thing. We're going to have to start having you on a proper sleeping schedule for school," Leon said.  
"What is he, five? He don't need no sleeping schedule," Roxas complained.  
"Just because the rest of you stay up until two in the morning doesn't mean he should follow your example," Cloud said. Sora laughed as he bid them all goodnight and went upstairs to settle in for the night as the others continued their game. Sora didn't really voice his concern about school. It was months away but he was still wasn't sure if he made the right decision.

  
_At Ventus's House:_

  
"What I want to know is, why the fuck would she wait until two days later to actually do something? Like bitch, the man left forty-eight hours ago, and now you want to confront his mother? What a wuss," Vanitas complained on the couch. He and Ventus were watching a romantic comedy while drinking, the only time the two of them ever enjoyed a romantic movie at all was when they were drinking. Ventus was only on drink number two, while Vanitas was well into the drunk phase. He was leaning all his weight on Ventus's side, which Ventus didn't mind as long as he didn't puke on him. He would never tell Vanitas, but Ventus liked it when Vanitas laid on him. He could smell his shampoo, the crisp smell of firewood, or at least that's what it smelled like to Ventus.   
"It's a romance, they got to drag it out somehow," Ventus yawned, already tired of this movie.   
"Hey Ventus" Vanitas started, "Where's that architecture crystal set you got for Christmas last year? I know for a fact you didn't open it."  
"It's upstairs in my room. You want to try and put that together now? While you're drunk?" Ventus asked, half laughing.   
"No, I want to look at it. Of course I want to put it together! Go get it!" Vanitas demanded.  
"You go get it!" Ventus laughed.  
"You honestly expect me to make it up the stairs?" Vanitas asked. Vanitas never really gets this drunk, he only does this when he's with Ventus at his house because he knows he doesn't have to go anywhere or worry about getting home. The comforting thought that Ventus wouldn't let him do anything stupid allowed him to go way beyond what he would normally drink. He had a high tolerance for alcohol, and he had to admit he was pushing his limits tonight. He was quite surprised he wasn't slurring his words or seeing three of everything.   
"Nevermind, I'll go get it," Ventus said, rising from the couch, causing Vanitas to fall over. He grunted but Ventus ignored it as he went upstairs. Ventus smiled to himself as he went. He liked it when it was just him and Vanitas, even though they were both drinking and Vanitas was clearly beyond his usual. It's not that Ventus hated his other friends, he loved them dearly, it's just that whenever all of them were together, nobody really paid him any attention. After a while he just stopped caring whether did or not, and it proved only a year ago just how much they didn't seem to listen to him, even Vanitas. But Vanitas always made up for it some other way, even if he didn't realize it meant the world to Ventus. Vanitas only missed once, and that was a time Ventus needed at least someone the most, and as much as he wanted to think it didn't matter anymore, having Sora around only made it matter the more.   
Ventus was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he hadn't realized he wasn't looking for the architecture crystal set. It was in his second closet that wasn't used for clothes, but just as Ventus thought about going back downstairs and lying about not being able to find it, he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt two arms wrap around his torso.   
"Vanitas, what the fuck!?" Ventus exclaimed, "You scared the living shit out of me!"  
"You were taking too long," Vanitas mumbled humorously into his ear. Ventus noticed a change in tone in Vanitas's voice but he didn't question it.   
"I didn't even hear you come up the stairs. Thought you couldn't do it," Ventus said.   
"I didn't. I half crawled up here when you didn't come back down," Vanitas replied. Ventus also now noticed that Vanitas had yet to let go of him. He was already fighting the heat rising to his cheeks.   
"Um, Vanitas?" Ventus asked.  
"Hmm?"  
"You planning on letting go? So I can actually find the crystal set?" Ventus asked slowly. This was new to Ventus. Vanitas should've been passed out by this point, or at least grumpy enough to just watch another movie and fall asleep like that.   
"Forget the damn crystal set," Vanitas said. Ventus was about to make a comeback when his sentence froze in his throat as he felt a soft pair of lips press most definitely against the back of his neck.   
Ventus honestly didn't know what to do. Why the hell did Vanitas just do that? Was he that drunk? Ventus didn't recall Vanitas having a so-called horny side to him when he was drunk, he barely recalled Vanitas being horny at all. What the fuck was going on?   
All Ventus knew was that this couldn't continue. At least for his own heart's sake.   
"Vanitas, off," Ventus said, attempting to remove Vanitas's grip from around himself. Vanitas wasn't budging. He grunted some form of protest before deliberately planting another kiss on his neck. Ventus could feel his face heating up. This wasn't good.   
"Vanitas, off," Ventus demanded again. Too quickly for Ventus to react, Vanitas turned him around in his hold and kissed him hard on the mouth. It took a moment for Ventus to realize what was happening and before he could pull away Vanitas pushed him back until his knees bucked against the bed and he fell down, Vanitas moving with him. Vanitas had him trapped in a matter of seconds, grabbing both his wrists and holding them out.   
"No," was all Vanitas replied before claiming his lips again. For only a moment, Ventus lost himself in jus the sensation of it. He kissed Vanitas back, only dreaming for a moment that this was real, that Vanitas actually shared some sort of romantic feelings towards him as Ventus had towards him. But Ventus knew better. This wasn't real, and it was starting to hurt, both mentally and the tight grip Vanitas had on his wrists.   
"Vanitas l-let go. G-g-get o-off" Ventus said between kisses, trying to stop himself from responding to it. He was lucky he wasn't hard.   
"No" Vanitas whined, "I've been wanting to do this since the airport."  
Wait, did Ventus just hear that right? Did Vanitas just say he wanted to kiss him? It wasn't the alcohol talking?   
"Vanitas, we can't" Ventus said, turning his head to the side to avoid Vanitas's lips, which only resulted in Vanitas attacking his throat and Ventus held back an almost audible moan, "You don't like me like that. Get off me."  
"Oh, you don't like it?" he heard Vanitas asked to his skin. He could tell by the way he said it that Vanitas wasn't being serious.   
"It's-" God, it was really hard trying to put thought process together with Vanitas's mouth trying to mark his skin, "It's not that-"  
"Then there's no objection," Vanitas cut him off, closing his mouth over Ventus's again. Ventus was trying really hard not to fall into this. But it was so unbearable to just sit here and try to resist when the person he had been crushing on for so long was deliberately trying to make out with him. How could Ventus say no? If it was all the alcohol then Ventus would've given him the entire cabinet full.   
He kissed Vanitas back again, the two battling tongues for dominance which Vanitas easily won as Ventus didn't put up much of a fight. Ventus wanted to put his arms around his neck and pull him closer but Vanitas wasn't letting go of his wrist. Just when he thought to maybe tell Vanitas to get off before the alcohol wore off, he felt a brush down his lower regions. At first he thought he imagined it, his head was fuzzy itself, but then he felt it again, and he was certain of that. Vanitas had began grinding against him and Ventus no longer cared.   
At least for a while.  
Ventus struggled against Vanitas's grip on his wrists because he wanted to hold him. Vanitas had taken the move as a sign of protest and instead tightened the grip, the fabric pulling hard on Ventus's bruised wrists.  
"Ow!" Ventus yelped, no desperately trying to yank his hands free, "Vanitas, let go of my wrists! You're hurting me!"  
"How am I hurting you?" Vanitas asked, but he let go nonetheless. Vanitas was still laying on him so Ventus couldn't sit up and rub his wrists so he opted to do it while still laying down.   
"You were pulling the fabric. It pulled on my skin," Ventus explained.   
"Then problem solved. Take them off," Vanitas said as he grabbed Ventus's right hand to do just that. Ventus yanked it back.  
"How are you still horny?" Ventus asked. Vanitas scoffed.  
"Like you aren't. Did you see how much I drank? And you're not helping looking all brow furrowed and incredibly flushed," Vanitas smirked. If Ventus thought Vanitas was sobering up, then boy was he wrong. Vanitas grinded against him to prove his point, and Ventus bit his lip to hold back groan in his throat. Vanitas reached for his wrist again.  
"Take these ugly things off," Vanitas said.   
"No. Forget about them, just kiss me," Ventus tried to change the subject.  
"Oh, suddenly in the mood now? What are you hiding?" Vanitas asked, going for his wrist again.   
"I'm not hiding anything, leave it," Ventus said, distracting him by claiming his mouth again. Vanitas only tried again for half a second before letting go, instead deciding to indulge himself in something the tiniest part in the corner of his mind was telling him he didn't deserve to do. Ventus was grateful for his drunken decisions. If Vanitas had succeeded in pulling off those wrists, an angry drunk Vanitas was never a good thing.

_Short chapter, I know, but I needed a filler chapter so I can start the next one with them on the first day of school. The new character is coming in the next chapter! We're getting back to Sora's story now since this character is coming in, and sorry for the poor Ventus and Vanitas fans, but their story will have to wait until they fit in again. Which won't be long, I promise. But back to Sora! Stay tuned! Poof!_


	19. Crash Collision

CRASH COLLISION

  
"Cloud, if we don't leave soon, we're all going to be late," Demyx whined as he leaned on the wall. He and the rest of the boys were waiting impatiently as Cloud was acting like the most overprotective mother they ever saw. He had double checked Sora's backpack three times now, had actually made lunch for all of them, and was now currently setting Sora's phone to have him and Leon on speed dial.   
"Remember, if you decide that it's all too much for you, you just call us and I'll come get you," Cloud said. Sora chuckled. As nervous as he truly was, Cloud's nervousness was making him laugh.   
"I got it, Cloud," Sora said.  
"Cloud, your own class starts in twenty minutes, let the kids leave already," Leon said. He had never seen Cloud act like this, what the hell was Cloud so afraid of?   
"Alright, alright," Cloud sighed before giving Sora hug and rustle to his hair, "Have fun, okay?"   
"We'll have a lot of fun as soon as we leave already!" Axel complained. Cloud glared at him shortly before going into the back room to retrieve his welcome lessons for his online classes. They all bid Leon farewell and everyone left to their cars. Sora was going to ride with Axel, Roxas and Demyx, as Cloud wouldn't let Sora in Vanitas's car because Vanitas drove like a bat out of hell.   
"You nervous?" Roxas asked as they climbed into the car. Roxas got in the back with Sora so Demyx could ride shotgun.   
"I think Cloud was nervous enough for the both of us. I'm more excited than anything. I've always wanted to go to school, especially since I can't remember when I did," Sora said, that last part coming out a little solemn. Roxas squeezed his shoulder.   
"You'll be fine. You'll be with us," Roxas smiled.  
"Yeah, and you'll see first hand that literally nobody messes with us," Axel said.  
"That's because you and Vanitas have way too much enjoyment in terrorizing people," Roxas remarked.   
The drive over was pleasant. Sora was leaning out the window most of the time, enjoying being out of the house. He liked Leon and Cloud a lot but seeing some more of the city was something he really wanted to do. He pushed back the thought in his head that his kidnapper was out there. That he was possibly looking for him. He wouldn't think about that today. He thought about it enough when he was alone in his room, more often than he'd like to admit. Sora knew it was only a matter of time. That man was vicious, and it almost brought tears to Sora's eyes every time he thought of the threat that man had made when he said what he would do to him if he ever ran away and he found him.   
But he wouldn't think about that today. All he would think about is going to this school. Honey High he thought. He would be surrounded by kids, teachers, books and all sorts of activities today. His schedule was nice. He had most of his classes with Roxas as they both were Juniors, and it was only one class that he and Roxas didn't share. That was history. Sora was okay with that. He liked history a lot, it was one of the main topics that man had in his library. He was excited to see what the teachers had to say that he didn't know about yet.   
When they arrived in the school parking lot, Sora's mouth dropped open. Ventus, when he actually speaking to him, had shown him a few pictures of the school, but seeing it in person was a whole other story. The school was huge, about four stories, and it was a beautiful shade of blue and black painted. It had shiny black doors and a huge grass field surrounding it. There were pavements leading up to almost every entrance and exit to the school and, of course, all around were hundreds, maybe thousands of kids. Sora watched them with interest. They were outside doing all kinds of things. Some were skateboarding, others were hugging each other from not seeing each other all summer, others were just standing around talking to each other,and, much to Sora's surprise, some couples were openly making out with each other. Sora didn't know about that. Kissing somebody that deeply in the open just seemed...odd to Sora. But given with his experience with anything involving a comforting affection, nothing good ever came out of it, so it was only natural that he think that way.   
They arrived at the parking lot about two minutes after Vanitas and Ventus had. The said two waiting for them outside the car when they arrived. Vanitas snickered upon Sora's facial expression.  
"A bit much?" Vanitas asked.   
"Just a bit" Sora said, "But I think I like it."   
"I like that our parking spots weren't taken. Normally the freshmen don't know any damn better," Axel said, closing his car door.   
"Sora, do you know where your locker is?" Demyx asked as they began walking through the parking lot.  
"Uh, yeah" Sora said, "The lady that gave me the orientation was really thorough. She even answered all of the absurd questions Cloud kept asking. I feel like I know this school inside and out." Sora had been given orientation a week before the school began. Sora was shocked to see the school then, but the only reason why he was enthralled today was because it was filled with kids so it seemed to look even better...like it was finally time for it to shine. The school seemed so empty when he had that orientation, but Cloud said that the lady was astounded with him, and that she was really happy that such a sweet child was coming to Honey High. In fact, she had a feeling that Sora would be on honor roll all semester, whatever that meant.   
Although Sora said he was completely fine, he still held on to Vanitas's arm when they actually walked through the front doors. He let go after that, but he remained really close as they walked. The hallway was packed. Sora couldn't imagine how this school was fitting all these children. Luckily, Sora and Roxas's lockers were on the first floor like the rest of the Juniors and Seniors. Honey High had a tradition where the Seniors and Juniors got the lockers on the first floor while the Sophomores and Freshmen got the lockers on the second floor. It was their way of letting the Juniors and Seniors know how close they were to graduating and walking out those doors and never coming back.   
They finally found their way to Sora's locker, which Sora opened very easily on the first try.   
"What the hell? How did you do that on the first try?" Demyx asked.  
"Demyx, just because you take three strikes doesn't mean everyone else is a moron," Vanitas said.   
"Well if it isn't my favorite group of annoying assholes," a hyper voice came from behind them. Sora was the first to turn, not recognizing the voice, and he was met with a girl. The girl had medium length bright red hair and blue eyes. She had a smile on her face.  
"Kairi, you are way too peppy for it to be this early," Roxas said, but he hugged her anyway.  
"Nice to know I get a hug from somebody!" Kairi complained, but she had a smile on her face as she said it. She suddenly noticed Sora, and her brow furrowed in confusion. Sora didn't like that face. Did she not like him?  
"Who's this?" Kairi asked.  
"Kairi, this is Sora. My cousin," Vanitas said, nodding towards Sora. Sora gave a meek wave.  
"Oh! I didn't know you had a cousin! At least not one around your age" Kairi smiled as she flashed a set of pearly whites at Sora, "Hey, I'm Kairi! And when you get tired of hanging around these dopes, you can come find me!"   
"Um, thank you?" Sora said, not sure if that was a compliment or not. Kairi waved again before running off to find her other friends.  
"Well, that's going to be a pain in the ass," Vanitas said.  
"What is?" Sora asked.  
"The constant introductions we're going to have to give everytime somebody asks who you are," Vanitas said.  
"We know too many people," Demyx laughed. His eyes suddenly caught someone from down the hall and his face beamed, "Baby!"  
Everyone watched as Demyx sprinted down the hall and collided with a blue haired kid, knocking his book to the floor.  
"Demyx, damnnit!" the boy yelled, although he made no move to remove the blonde now wrapped tightly around him. Instead of responding to the remark, Demyx just kissed him instead.   
"Zexy! Why are you reading right now? The bell hasn't even rang," Demyx whined. He picked up Zexion's book nonetheless. Zexion rolled his eyes and spotted the rest of demyx's friends. They walked over to them.   
"How's it going, Zexion?" Ventus asked. He liked Zexion. Zexion made a notion to mind his business and he liked that very much.   
"I'll probably bruise later from this imbecile but I'm good" Zexion said before turning his head towards Sora, "And you must be Sora, Vanitas's cousin. Demyx won't shut up about you."  
"Hi," Sora said, a little uneasy about the fact that Zexion knew him already. What had Demyx told him?   
The bell suddenly went off and Sora watched as hundreds of kids suddenly speed walked in different directions.  
"What happened?" Sora asked, confused.  
"It means it's almost class time" Vanitas explained, picking up his backpack off the floor, "Follow Roxas, you two have the same class. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"  
"Okay," Sora said. He wasn't all that happy with the fact that he wouldn't be around his cousin but as long as Roxas was with him, he assured himself he would be fine. They all went their separate ways as Roxas led Sora upstairs to the second floor. They went down a hall and managed to make it to their first class, english, just as the second bell rang. Roxas chose the seats in the back, even though Sora kind of wanted to sit in the front.   
"Why do people like to sit in the back?" Sora asked.  
"Because that way people don't bother you," Roxas explained. The teacher suddenly walked in, and Roxas groaned.   
"What's wrong?" Sora asked.   
"It's Mr. Lea. I swear, he teaches every grade. I just had him for history last year," Roxas groaned.   
"Hello, class!" Mr. Lea said as he set down his supplies on the desk to the side, "I see some familiar faces, some I'd rather not." He stared right at Roxas, who gave him a clipped smile in return. The feeling was mutual. When he looked at who was sitting next to him, he paused.   
"And some new faces...that look familiar," Mr. Lea said.  
"Before you get all nosy, he's Vanitas's cousin," Roxas said before Mr. Lea could ask. Mr. Lea groaned.  
"Oh lord, the devil has pawns" Mr. Lea said, "Please tell me you aren't like your cousin, um..?"  
"Sora," Sora suddenly piped up. He didn't like the whole class staring at him now. It was clear his cousin was quite popular, for both good and bad reasons.   
"Sora, yes. You aren't like your cousin, are you?" Mr. Lea asked.   
"Axel once said I was the the...angelic version of Vanitas?" Sora said, not quite saying the exact quote. Mr. Lea let out a sigh of relief.  
"That's good news to me. Don't let Roxas influence you," Mr. Lea said before continuing on to the rest of the class. While Sora was happy that Mr. Lea maybe liked him, he didn't like the spur of talking he just caused. While Sora tried to ignore it the rest of class, it was hard to ignore the sudden whispers and chats about him. He kept hearing about how much he looked like Vanitas, how it was weird that Vanitas had a cousin who nobody ever saw, how unfair it was that he was friends with "those people" just because he was related to the bad one, and...how cute he was.   
Sora knew kids gossip, he's read enough novels to expect it, but it was something else to be the cause of all the gossip. When the bell rang, he was glad that the conversations had stopped, but it was shortlived as he and Roxas walked to their next class. He kept noticing the glances and the looks he was getting.  
"Wow, word travels hella fast," Roxas said.  
"You noticed it too?" Sora asked.  
"Yup. I suspect by lunch, everyone who's not a freshman will know who you are and who you're related to. Don't take it too personally, Sora, they don't hate you. If anything, they're jealous that your cousin is Vanitas. Which is good for you because that means that bullies like Seifer and his gang won't mess with you. Not unless they want to deal with Vanitas," Roxas said. Sora nodded. That made it a little more bearable. But Sora didn't understand why they were jealous. His cousin was great but his cousin was also mean, even if it wasn't directed at him. Most of the time it was at Ventus, and Sora was still sore about that. He wondered if school made Ventus cut as well.   
The rest of his classes went about the same way. He heard some whispers and comments, and the teachers who knew Vanitas made a point to ask him not to act like Vanitas. Sora couldn't help but laugh after a while. His cousin sure got on these teachers nerves, and it amused him that Vanitas had bothered them enough for them to ask that he not do that same. He liked Mrs. Aerith the most so far. She was the art teacher, and she didn't mind that he was Vanitas's cousin. She actually liked Vanitas. By the time lunch rolled around, Sora didn't realize how hungry he was until they sat down at the table.  
"Vanitas, every teacher hates you," Sora said when Vanitas sat down next to him.   
"That just means they'll love you," Vanitas shrugged.  
"They already do," Roxas said, sliding in next to Axel, "Mr. Valentine was practically in love with Sora while he read for Hamlet."  
"Oh no, you shouldn't have done that. He will try to make you audition for everything," Axel said.   
"Hey, where's the bathroom?" Sora asked.  
"When you go out the door, it'll be on your left. You want me to walk you?" Roxas asked.   
"I can find it," Sora said as he got up. He made his way to the door, ignoring the whispers and comments he heard. They weren't anything bad, if anything they were pure envy, but that didn't mean Sora wanted to hear it. He had started speed walking towards the door, so it was too late for him to realize that the door was opening when he reached it and he ended up on the floor, the door having smacked him clear in the face. Sora clutched his nose in pain, trying to subdue the burning.   
"Ow," Sora groaned.  
"Oh my God, I'm so sorry! I didn't see you," a voice said from above him. Sora looked up to find a silver-haired boy staring at him. Sora blinked for a moment. He only knew one man with silver hair, and it sent a shiver down his spine. But this boy's hair wasn't that grey silver, it almost seemed to shine, and it was much shorter. He also noticed the boy had bright green eyes, that reminded him immediately of the leaves that he used to watch fall down during the springtime. It was a nice view, and so were the boy's eyes. Sora closed his mouth once he realized it was open. The boy held out his hand and it took Sora a moment to realize that he wanted him to take it. He grabbed it and the boy pulled him up.   
"I'm sorry, are you okay?" the silver-haired boy ask.   
"I think so...my nose hurts a little," Sora replied. He removed his hand only to find it red and he put his hand back. The silver-haired boy's eyes widened.   
"Oh no, you're bleeding, aren't you?" the boy asked. Sora nodded sheepishly.  
"Come on," the boy said, grabbing his hand before Sora could object and leading him to the boy's bathroom. Sora stood dumbfounded a bit as the boy ran some paper towels under the sink before handing it to Sora. Sora nodded a little before taking the wet towels and holding it under his nose.   
"Does that feel a little better?" the boy asked.  
"Yeah...um, thanks," Sora nodded. He really wasn't sure what to do here. None of his friends or his cousin was here. He was alone with a strange boy who almost shared the same hair color as his tormentor.  
So why didn't he feel the least bit terrified?   
"Oh, um" the boy rubbed the back of his neck, "We didn't properly introduce ourselves. I'm Riku."  
"Hi, I'm Sora," Sora replied.  
"Sorry about your nose, I didn't really check to see if anyone was coming out," Riku said, "Oh, you're that kid."  
"What?" Sora asked. What kid?  
"I've heard about you almost all this morning," Riku said, then he noticed Sora's face, "Nothing bad! Everyone just kept talking about how Vanitas's cousin was in school now. I mean, I don't know who Vanitas is either but-"  
"You don't know my cousin?" Sora asked, "That's a first. It seems everyone here knows my cousin, and now me, apparently."  
"I'm new here, so I don't really know anyone," Riku said. Sora's eyes lit up.   
"I'm new too! Well, you probably already knew that by now, but yeah, I'm new too," Sora said.   
"Well, uh, since we're both new...why don't we sit together then?" Riku asked.   
"Oh, you can join me and my friends," Sora offered.   
"You mean your cousin?" Riku asked. Sora nodded.   
"Yeah, and my other friends. Ventus, Roxas, Axel and Demyx. And Kairi too, and some other people who showed up at the table who I don't really know. But there's room for you if you want to come with," Sora smiled. Jut as Riku was thinking about it, two other boys came into the room.   
"Sora, are you okay?" the black haired one asked. Riku assumed this was Vanitas.   
"Vanitas, Axel, hey" Sora said, "I'm fine, guys."  
"We saw you walk out with some random dude, so we came to check on you" Axel said, then he noticed the other boy, "And there's said random dude."  
"Hi" Riku said, "I'm Riku."  
"Hi," Vanita said, although it sounded anything but friendly, "Sora, what happened?"  
"Huh? Nothing. Riku accidentally hit me with the door. He was coming in, I was going out, and we collided. My nose bled a little but it's fine," Sora explained.   
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It really was an accident," Riku said. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to defend himself. Vanitas was looking at him like he just committed a homicide.   
"Is your nose still bleeding?" Vanitas asked. Sora shook his head.   
"It's fine," Sora said. Vanitas grabbed onto his arm.   
"Come on, you need to eat before lunch is over," Vanitas said.   
"Wait, I told Riku he could sit with us," Sora said.   
"That's nice," Vanitas said as he led him out the bathroom. Axel looked back when he got to the door.   
"Um...you can sit with us if you want," Axel said, a little uneasy. Riku smiled and shook his head.   
"I'm okay. Plus, I think um...Vanitas may choke me," Riku said. Axel nodded in understanding, saluted him, and left. Riku let out a breath and looked at the door.   
"Damn, that kid was cute," Riku muttered to himself.

_And there we have it! Mr. Riku has finally made his presence! And poor Riku, Vanitas already hates him. Now that Riku is in the picture, Sora's story can continue. Stay tuned! Poof!_


	20. You Can't Sit With Us

YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US

  
Riku knew he shouldn't have done it. He shouldn't have done it.   
After what happened in the bathroom with that cute brunette at lunch, he should've taken that as a warning to stay away from him.  
So why is that when he walked into his last class, history, and saw said brunette sitting by himself, he immediately walked over there and sat down? He will never answer that honestly.   
"This seat taken?" He asked the brunette when he approached him. The kid, Sora, looked up a little shocked to see him. Riku finally got a good look at those blue eyes and he had a minor thought about how he could stare at those orbs all day. Damn, he had it bad and it wasn't a full day yet.   
"Uh, no, go ahead," Sora said quietly as Riku got comfortable. Riku could tell that this kid was a little guarded, but he left it up to the fact that he was also new.   
"You didn't sit with us at lunch," Sora said. Riku sighed in amusement.  
"Your cousin didn't look too keen on that. I didn't want to push it," Riku responded. Sora half rolled his eyes and smiled a little. Riku wanted him to smile a little more. His dimples almost came out.   
"Vanitas's bark is worse than his bite. Well, at least to me," Sora said.  
"Well, I didn't want to test that. But it looks like we have history together so we can sit together then," Riku offered. Sora nodded.   
"I'm okay with that," Sora said and Riku nodded more to himself than to Sora. This was okay. They could sit together at history and Riku would try his utmost best not to fail this class by staring at him all day. He didn't even have a thing for brunettes, blondes were more his taste, but the mixture of Sora's eyes and his hair was a beautiful combination of...just perfection. And although he spoke a little quietly, Riku didn't mind. He was talking to him at all, and that was a relief. He wondered if he could get the kid's number before the end of class.   
"If all of you are expecting non-stop essays in this class, then good because that's exactly what you're getting," a tall, silvered haired man said as he walked into the classroom. The classroom groaned in unison except for Sora. Sora didn't see the problem yet with essays.   
"I'm Mr. Sephiroth. It's my first name, and it sounds better, so don't ask what my last name is." The silver-haired man stated. Sora thought it came out as a threat but he chose not to voice it.   
"Now, I'm skipping introductions because they're tedious and quite frankly, I don't like them. So to pass the time, I made a little game for you all. Expect this throughout the year. For every game you win, you are exempt from one homework assignment. This game will count for this weekend. All you have to do is say the correct answer. Raise your hands, please. I hate shouting," Sephiroth grumbled. Riku liked this teacher already. Playing a game just to get off homework? He could do that.   
Sephiroth turned down the lights and put on the projection. It was a picture of Marie Antionette.   
"First one is easy. How did she die?" Sephiroth asked. Only two students raised their hands. Sora and some other kid in the front.  
"Tell me this is a joke?" Sephiroth said, clearly not amused. He called on the student in the front.   
"Childbirth," the student said confidently.  
"It's going to be a long year," Sephiroth said. He called on Sora.  
"She was executed by decapitation. I believe her last words were something along the lines of excuse me or something because she stepped on the executioner's foot," Sora said. Riku looked at Sora in quite astonishment. Even he didn't know how the old brute died. Sephiroth nodded approvingly.   
"Someone reads. Thank goodness," Sephiroth said with half a smile. He went to the next slide.   
"Who was the first to declare war on Japan in WWII?" Sephiroth asked. About almost all hands went up. Sephiroth made a chuckle.  
"Whoever is about to say "America", put your hand down," Sephiroth ordered. Almost every hand went down except Sora and Riku's. Sephiroth called on Riku.  
"It was Canada. America declared war the day after them," Riku said. Sephiroth nodded.  
"Great. The two smart ones are sitting next to each other. There's hope after all," he said before he turned to the next slide. Riku looked over to Sora and Sora gave a sheepish smile at him before turning back to the slide. Riku smiled to himself.   
This was going to be a long year indeed.   
By the time class was over, Sora had actually only won by one more point than Riku. And it was only because Riku got the Roosevelts mixed up for half a second. Sora was excused from homework for the upcoming weekend, and Riku couldn't help but be impressed. Sora was shy, but he sure was smart.   
"How'd you know all that stuff?" Riku asked as they exited class. It was the last class of the day and Riku was more than happy to be done with the day. Only bad part of it was that it meant he wouldn't see Sora until tomorrow. He really shouldn't be crushing this hard on a kid already. But there was something about Sora that he liked, and he didn't know what it was, but he liked it anyway.   
"Oh...um...I just used to spend a lot of time in the library is all. The history section was a big section," Sora said, deciding on his words. It wasn't like it wasn't the truth. That man did have a library in his house, but all Riku needed to know was that it was a library in general. Sora had no idea why he wasn't more wary of this kid. He almost had the same hair color as his former tormentor and while that should've made Sora steer clear of him by itself, he wasn't...well, afraid of this kid. Riku had a sort of calm nature about him, and Sora wanted that nature. He was worried his whole life, what did true calm feel like?   
"How did you know some of it?" Sora asked.  
"Oh, my whole family are history nerds. We used to play jeopardy for Thanksgiving and Christmas until we all decided that it was more fun to just watch it on TV," Riku said.   
"Jeopardy has a television show?" Sora asked before he could stop himself.   
"Of course. It's been on for years. You don't know jeopardy?" Riku asked, completely shocked. What person didn't know what Jeopardy was?  
Sora looked away a little uncomfortable. While he was not new to TV anymore, there were still a lot of shows he didn't see. Most of the time he just fell asleep watching Hey Arnold, or he watched horror films with the guys. He knew of some regular sitcoms or whatever, but he wasn't a true 'tv buff' as Roxas had described Demyx. He never saw Jeopardy.   
Noticing the change in Sora's mood, Riku waved it off.   
"It's not a big deal" Riku said quickly, "I mean, honestly the show is boring to most people because they don't know the topics at all or not enough. It's only really a show for people who enjoy a quiet test. It's fine if you haven't seen it."   
"Really? But it's been on for years," Sora said.  
"So? So has The Simpsons, and I know several people who've never seen that," Riku laughed. Sora looked at him, confused.  
"The Simpsons?" Sora asked.   
"Make that eight," Riku counted. Sora had that look on his face again. It almost looked like embarrassment to Riku, which he didn't understand why. There was nothing to be embarrassed about.   
"You don't watch TV much, do you?" Riku asked with a smile. Sora looked over at him and looked away, a light blush on his face. Sora hadn't expected Riku's smile to be so...attractive? That's what it was, right? It certainly didn't seem sinister like that man's. So he guessed attractive worked with this.   
"Not really. Only reruns of old shows and some horror movies," Sora said.   
"Good for you. That explains why you knew everything in history. You actually read," Riku said. Sora did smile at that. Riku thought he was smart? He never considered himself smart, but it was nice to hear Riku say that.   
"Sora, there you are!" they heard a voice come from behind them. They turned around to find Roxas, Axel and Vanitas walking towards them. Riku was sure he'd be dead if looks could kill by the way Vanitas's stare had narrowed upon seeing him. Christ, that kid was scary.   
"Sorry, I forgot about my locker," Sora apologized. He really had. He was enjoying his conversation with Riku, "Why didn't you just call me?"  
"Honestly, we forgot you had a phone," Axel admitted. He nodded towards Riku, "Riku, right?"   
"Yeah," Riku said. At least one was talking to him. The raven-haired short one had yet to say a direct word to him, and he was the one giving him the evil glare.   
The redhead held out his hand. "We didn't meet properly the last time. I'm Axel, this is my boyfriend, Roxas." Riku shook his hand and nodded to Roxas who returned it.   
"Can you at least make an effort to send a text next time?" Vanitas asked, now glancing at Sora.   
"Where's Ventus?" Sora asked, sidestepping the question as Vanitas took his bookbag.  
"Went home early," Vanitas answered.  
"On the first day?!" Roxas exclaimed. Vanitas shrugged.  
"Yup. Went to play volleyball in gym class and he threw up after two smacks. Got sent home," Vanitas said.   
"Is he okay?" Riku asked. He didn't know who this Ventus kid was, but that sounded horrible.   
"Can we go? I'm not trying to hear Mother Cloud's attitude if Sora gets back late," Vanitas said, walking past Riku and the rest of them. Roxas and Axel followed. Riku had to shake his head in amusement. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the one named Vanitas was clearly not fond of him. Riku didn't understand what he did wrong, though. All he did was talk to his cousin.   
"I'll see you tomorrow, Riku!" Sora called as he walked away with his friends. Riku saluted him and made his way to go grab his stuff out of his locker before finding his car.

In Vanitas's Car:  
"Should we stop and check on Ventus?" Sora asked they made their way back to Cloud and Leon's.  
"No. He's fine. It was probably that lunch Cloud made. Didn't sit well with him," Vanitas shrugged. Sora sat back in his seat. He was really worried about Ventus. What if Ventus realized nobody was going to check on him and hurt himself again? He had tried almost immediately to text him in the car, but Ventus had yet to actually reply.  
"Well, I think you should at least call him later and see," Sora urged. Vantas groaned.  
"Will it make you happy?" Vanitas asked.   
"Yes," Sora smiled. By this point, Sora realized that it was only him Vanitas was willing to do anything for. He had to use that to save Ventus. It was quiet in the car for a moment.   
"How was your first day?" Vanitas asked.   
"It went fine. I got let off from homework this weekend because I won some weird game the history teacher had us play. Riku almost won but he got the two Roosevelts mixed up," Sora chuckled. He barely heard a grumble from his cousin. It was faint, but it was there.  
"Vanitas, why are you being so mean to Riku? You didn't even acknowledge him in the hallway or the bathroom. You know he said he didn't sit with us at lunch today because he said you didn't want him there?" Sora asked.  
"Good, he's smart enough not to try" Vanitas said, "And for the record, Sora, I don't acknowledge half the people at Honey High. They know me, I don't know them. He's not any different."   
"You could've at least said hi," Sora remarked. Vanitas scoffed.   
"Sora, not to upset you, but I don't particularly like a lot of people," Vanitas said.   
"You seem to like Ventus a lot," Sora said. Vanitas blinked as he stopped at a red light.   
"Excuse me?" Vanitas asked, completely blindsided. Where the hell did that remark come from?   
"I said you seem to like Ventus a lot," Sora said.  
"He's my best friend, I just happen to tolerate him more often than others. And how can you even say that? We argue most of the time," Vanitas said, defending himself.   
"Yeah, but you always seem to regret it afterward. I notice how you're always typing up an apology on your phone but you never send it," Sora smirked.   
"You nosy little-"  
"I was just saying!" Sora said quickly, almost laughing. He never liked the two of them fighting, but when he happened to notice that Vanitas would type up apologies only to delete them made him a little happier. So he cared for Ventus somewhat more than he let on. Sora wished he could relay the information to Ventus, maybe he would make it him feel better, but that was for Vanitas to decide, not him.   
"Well, mind your business," Vanitas said as he drove off the second the light turned green. Vanitas was extremely shocked to say the least. How in the world had Sora just accused him of saying that he liked Ventus even more than what he let on? He and Ventus were just best friends who literally argued most of the time, no matter what Ventus's feelings towards him wanted them to be and no matter what little inkling spark was trying to ignite itself in Vanitas's mind.   
They got to the house a bit before Roxas, Axel and Demyx, who had taken a detour to go get some cheese fries before returning. And Roxas needed to stop at his house to grab some stuff.   
"Sora!" Cloud smiled as soon as Sora stepped through the door. He hugged him.   
"How was it?" Cloud asked.   
"I had fun. I think I like school," Sora said. Cloud's brow furrowed.  
"Your nose looks a little blushed," Cloud said. Sora touched his nose.  
"Really still? Wow," Sora said, rubbing his nose. He knew his skin was a little...sensitive thanks to matters of the past but he didn't think his nose looked red anymore. Lunch was hours ago.   
"Yeah, some asshole smacked him in the face with the cafeteria door. Gave him a nosebleed," Vanitas explained. Cloud's eyes widened.  
"What?! Sora-"  
"It's fine, Cloud. He helped me clean it up afterwards. It was an accident," Sora said quickly.   
"Was it that bully Seifer?" Cloud asked.  
"No, it was some asshole named Riku," Vanitas said. Sora frowned.   
"Vanitas, don't call him that. He's not an...he's not that," Sora said. Sora never really was one to curse. He had said 'damn' once in his life and it left a sour taste in his mouth.   
"He helped you afterward. That doesn't make him a complete asshole," Cloud smiled lightly.   
"Don't worry, that's the worse of my day. I really had a nice time, Cloud," Sora said, giving him a small smile. It was enough for Cloud.   
"Well, let's hope that's the worse it is all year," Cloud said. Sora was relieved that Cloud let the subject matter go. Sora hadn't told anyone about all the gossip he had heard all day. It wasn't worth the worry over. Sora would deal with it. Nobody knew the truth anyway...it only felt like everyone did. The number of times Sora heard his own name gave him a horrible feeling that somehow everyone had found out he was a slut. He knew that was impossible, but he just didn't like hearing his name come from other peoples' mouths who he didn't know. At one point, he even heard a girl ask if he was a virgin because if he was Vanitas's cousin, then he couldn't be. That didn't sit well with Sora at all. That was not only calling him a slut, but that also implied that Vanitas was a slut, and Vanitas was nothing close to it. Sora was the slut, not his cousin. But he kept his worries to himself. Cloud, Leon and the others had kept him this long, he couldn't make them worry or they remove him from school and he didn't want that. He actually did like school.   
And he wanted to see the boy, Riku, again.

 _Thursday:_  
"Ventus, you're better!" Sora smiled as he noticed Ventus coming up to them in the hallway.   
"I wasn't that sick," Ventus frowned as he met with them.   
"Told you," Vanitas said, giving Ventus a slight punch to the shoulder.   
"Was is the food Cloud made you?" Sora asked. Ventus shook his head.   
"I have the immune system of a baby. I get sick all the time," Ventus explained. He thought Sora would've figured this out by now. Almost all summer, Ventus had gotten sick multiple times. He was even in the hospital for two days because of it once in July.   
"Well, it's nice to see you," Sora said. Ventus held back a roll of his eyes while Vanitas was in full view of it. He couldn't act mean towards Sora, especially not after how nice Vanitas was to him on Wednesday. Vanitas had came over after school to check up on him, and he had even stayed with him until late that night, mostly just complaining about this new kid Ventus didn't bother trying to the name of, but apparently, the kid already got on Vanitas's nerves. Ventus was a little grateful for this new kid. At least someone else was feeling the wrath of Vanitas's anger for once. The bell rang.  
"See you guys at lunch!" Roxas called as they made their separate ways to class, Roxas and Sora going to English.   
Lunchtime came around a little too quick for Sora, who was enjoying his art class and hadn't managed to finish the project Mrs. Aerith had them working on. He felt bad for not being able to finish it, but Aerith assured him that he got further than most of the class, who all seemed to be stuck on the watercolor part of it. He was just about to go to his usual spot with his cousin and friends when he noticed his history friend sitting at another table, presumingly alone. Sora walked over to him.   
"You going to sit with us today?" Sora asked. This would be Sora's third time asking this. Riku still refused to sit with Sora's friends, and by this point, Sora was getting a little upset about it.   
"I don't think so," Riku said.  
"Oh come on, Riku. Are you scared of my cousin or something?" Sora asked. If Riku was scared of Vanitas, then he and his cousin needed to have a serious talk.  
"As scary as he is, no, I'm not" Riku said, "I just don't think it's a good idea."   
"Please come sit with us, Riku. I know you don't sit by yourself by choice," Sora said. He knew the feeling of being alone ten times over, with his only company being books and a man who used him for his body. He didn't want anyone else to feel alone. He was already trying to fix that problem with Ventus.   
"Sora, I actually do sit alone by choice. I have friends in my other classes and sometimes I sit with them, but I like solitude sometimes," Riku said. This was a fact. Riku never minded being alone. But the sad look in Sora's eyes was making it hard to say no for the fourth time. Riku sighed, put his phone in his pocket, and picked up his tray.  
"Alright, but if Vanitas slaps me with his lunch tray then you're cleaning my nose this time," Riku said. Sora giggled a bit and Riku felt his ears go red at hearing such a cute noise from his current too sudden crush. He let Sora lead him to the table next to one of the windows. The others looked up as they came over. The kid, Roxas he thought, smiled at him.   
"I was wondering when Sora was going to get you to come over here," Roxas said.   
"I was hoping never," Vanitas said. Sora sat next to Vanitas so Riku could sit next to him, which Riku was grateful for. At least he didn't have to constantly find somewhere to look to avoid the glaring now. Riku wasn't a wimp of any kind, he just preferred not to get into a physical fight if he could help it. But he had a horrible feeling he and Vanitas would be exchanging blows in the future and he didn't like that. Vanitas was vicious, that much was clear from his attitude, so Riku assumed he knew how to fight.   
"So Riku, now that Sora finally dragged you out of your cubby hole, I have to drill you" Axel said, munching on fries, "First question, you new to the city or just this school?"  
"The city" Riku replied, "I used to live in Oregon. It was boring. My parents decided to move here and I have to say it's a lot livelier than Oregon."  
"What do your parents do for a living?" Demyx asked.  
"Well, my dad is an ocean life researcher and my mom is a theatre dramaturgy. They travel a lot so I'm mostly home with just me and my dog," Riku shrugged.  
"Huh. Home Alone, eh? Well, this is Ventus, who is also home alone," Axel laughed, gesturing towards the blonde who was on the other side of Vanitas. Riku hadn't even noticed him at first, he was so quiet. But now that he did, he was taken aback by how much he looked like Roxas. Were they related?   
"Your parents travel a lot too?" Riku asked Ventus.   
"No they just choose to stay away from me," Ventus said, clear sarcasm.   
"You been around Vanitas too long, his assholeness is rubbing off on you" Roxas laughed, "Ventus's parents are business partners, so they travel a lot too."  
Riku nodded in understanding. He's met kids like Ventus before. The ones who didn't like the fact that their parents were never around and so they acted depressed all the time. But those kids were normally loners. Ventus was surrounded by friends, so why did he look so sad?   
"Are you gay?" Demyx suddenly blurted. Riku choked on his soda.   
"Demyx, the fuck!" Vanitas said.   
"What, I'm gay and so are Roxas and Axel and Ven as far as we know. He should know who he's sitting with in case he's not comfortable with it," Demyx motioned.   
"It's fine" Riku said, gaining his breathing back, "I just didn't expect that to come out so bluntly."  
"Neither did we," Sora said, surprised. Was this a regular question people asked each other? Was Sora even gay himself? He's never had any experience with girls, it was only that man, but he called Riku attractive the first day he saw him. Did that make him gay?   
"It's fine if you don't want to answer," Axel said.   
"No, no, it's perfectly okay" Riku reassured them, "I'm actually bi."  
"For the sake of your sanity, don't tell the ladies that. They've been oogling you since you got here. Tell them you're gay so you can at least get some peace and quiet," Demyx advised. Riku chuckled at that. That didn't sound like a bad idea, especially if that meant he could have some peace and quiet.   
"Oh, Sora, did you watch that show last night I told you about?" Riku asked. The other day, when Riku found out that Sora had no idea what Game of Thrones was, Riku had highly suggested he watch it. Riku didn't care for it himself, but he would let Sora decide from himself. Sora scrunched up his face.   
"I watched like two episodes. I got bored. I don't get it," Sora replied.   
"It's not for everybody" Riku shrugged, "I don't like it either."  
"So why did you make me watch it?!" Sora asked.   
"I suggested, I didn't make you do anything," Riku laughed.   
"Well suggest something you actually like!" Sora whined.   
The rest of the lunch went by smoothly, even though Riku noticed that Vanitas had not said a word to him the entire time. It was mostly the other three asking him all sorts of questions, which Riku was fine with because at least that meant only one person at the table absolutely hated him for no reason. Whether Vanitas knew about his crush on his cousin or not, Riku wasn't trying to find out. Ventus hadn't said much to him either, but he was reading a book so Riku just let that be the excuse. Demyx had mentioned that Ventus was gay as far as they knew, and if Riku wasn't already so invested in Sora, he would've definitely tried to talk to Ventus. After all, he liked blondes. But then there was adorable Sora.   
It wasn't until the end of history class that Riku made a mistake he didn't realize he couldn't made. The bell had rang, ending the school day. Sora was gathering his stuff as students were filing out. Just as he was about to leave, Riku called to him.  
And he grabbed his wrist.   
Everything happened so fast that Riku wasn't even sure it happened if wasn't for the simple fact that it had. Sora had snatched his wrist so fast Riku felt the gush of the wind and Sora had backed away from him a good five feet. Riku looked up at his face and was quite shocked to find...fear in his eyes?   
Sora's eyes were as wide as a deer caught in the headlights, and he was trying his hardest to regain his breathing. Nobody had grabbed him like that in a while. Even if Sora knew beforehand that it was Riku who did it, he probably still would've had the same reaction. Too many flashbacks hit him at once when somebody grabbed him unexpectantly. And he still didn't know Riku all that well so that made it worse. Sora closed his eyes, counted to ten, and then let out a sigh as he opened his eyes again to meet Riku's shocked and confused ones. Riku had his hands up in surrender.   
"Sorry?" Riku said slowly, "I didn't mean to scare you."  
"It's-it's okay" Sora said, still trying to control his breathing, "Just...just d-don't do that."   
Riku nodded, still afraid to make any sudden movements towards Sora. The freak out had scared him too, never seeing someone react like that.   
"Was there something you wanted?" Sora asked.   
"Um...there was, but don't worry about it" Riku said, picking up his bag, "Your friends are probably going to start wondering where you are in a few minutes, let's head out." Riku finally did make a move towards Sora, or more towards the door that Sora was currently in the way of. But either way he stopped when Sora very obviously took a step back from him.   
"Sora, you okay?" Riku asked. Sora's eyes didn't meet his as he nodded.   
"I'm fine. Um, I can go find them on my own. ...I'll see you tomorrow," Sora said before practically darting out the room. Riku stood for another minute, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.

 

_So I figured if I make these shorter, the chapters come out sooner. Bet you weren't expecting three chapters this quick. Also, if there are spelling mistakes in here, it's only because as I've stated, I'm only typing this to get it out of my head and out of my system, so I'm not really concerned with grammar right now. But poor Riku he messed up! Will he be able to fix it? Next chapter, Vanitas confronts Riku and Sora tries to stop Ventus from cutting, leading to disastrous results! Stay tuned! Poof!_


	21. Apologies to Go Around

APOLOGIES TO GO AROUND

  
"Axel, will you please sit down and shut the hell up?" Roxas complained, leaning back against the couch. Axel had been pacing back and forth muttering to himself for the past ten minutes and it was driving Roxas insane.  
"No I will not sit down," Axel said before continuing. Roxas groaned loudly.   
"Axel, it was not that big of a deal," Roxas said for the umpteenth time this evening.   
"The fact that it's not a big deal to you makes me highly uncomfortable babe. Like what were you going to do if I wasn't there?" Axel asked.   
"The same thing I would've done when you were there," Roxas said. He honestly didn't see what the problem was.  
"Why are you even so worked up at this point? You punched the guy already, give it a rest," Roxas said.   
"That's not the point, Roxas!" Axel glared at his boyfriend.

  
This all started in the store. Axel and Roxas had gone out to lunch to go catch some tacos before heading over to Axel's house for the night. Some guy was very obviously eyeing Roxas up and down while he and Axel were trying to decide what they wanted to eat. Axel hadn't said anything but he could practically feel the asshole trying to undress Roxas with his eyes. Roxas had told him to leave it be because he sees people do that to Axel all the time. He told him to let it go. So Axel did. Mostly. It wasn't until they got in line that everything hit the fan. They were in line for less than five minutes when the guy oogling Roxas had tapped him on the shoulder and asked them if they had the same chemistry class together. Roxas had shrugged but introduced himself anyway, much to the dismay of Axel. He introduced Axel as his boyfriend and the guy nodded before Roxas and Axel turned back towards the front. Roxas wasn't really sure what was said, but apparently, the guy behind them said something that Axel didn't like and Axel ended up punching him clean out, the cops were called, and Roxas had to sit in the station for an hour as they decided whether to arrest Axel for assault. Luckily, they didn't, and now here they were in Axel's living room with Roxas annoyed and Axel still fuming.

  
"Then, pray tell, what is the point?" Roxas asked. Axel stopped pacing.  
"The point is, Roxas, is that you can't keep expecting me to just stand there when somebody says something about you!" Axel said.   
"Axel, you can't fight every single person that makes a sexual remark about me! You can't fight the world you moron!" Roxas said. Axel hadn't even told him what the guy had actually said, but Roxas didn't care. People talked about him all through middle school, he was over this kid bullshit.   
"Well someone has to if you're not!" Axel said.  
"Because I don't care! And neither should you!" Roxas exclaimed.   
"Of course I care! You're my boyfriend! That's kind of my job," Axel stated.   
"I didn't ask you to beat up every dude that tries to hit on me. That's just you and your over jealous ego! What do you think is going to happen, Axel?" Roxas asked. Axel looked away from him, not answering. Roxas took a deep breath, trying to prevent himself from yelling. This was a really stupid argument and he knew it.   
"Axel, what do you think is going to happen?" Roxas asked again, although by Axel's quietness, he had his answer. He sagged his shoulders.   
"Axel, do you honestly think I'm going to leave you?" Roxas asked.   
"I didn't say that," Axel said, still not facing him. Roxas knew he was right now.   
"You're not denying it either," Roxas said as he stood up from the couch and went over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around his waist, "Axel, you realize you have no reason to be jealous, right?"  
"I don't do it on purpose, Rox," Axel mumbled quietly. Roxas nodded against his back.   
"Axel, believe me when I tell you that I'm not planning on going anywhere anytime soon. You get on my damn nerves all the time, you keep molesting me in my sleep, and you always want sex at the most inappropriate times...but that's what I love about you. I wouldn't trade you for anybody else. I wish you would remember that," Roxas said. He meant it too. After all, it was Axel who made Roxas realize his actual sexuality. He had been in the closet and on the fence about it before he met Axel. Axel was his first boyfriend, his first partner, and his first love. Why couldn't Axel see that he had nothing to be jealous of?  
"And if it makes you feel any better, he was too short anyway," Roxas said. Axel couldn't hide the slight chuckle that vibrated through him and Roxas knew the situation was no more.   
"So you like tall guys, eh?" Axel asked, looking under his arm at his little blonde. Roxas rolled his eyes.   
"Oh great, I know that look," Roxa groaned.   
"Well, what do you expect after saying you love me?" Axel asked, turning around fully.   
"I say that all the time!" Roxas whined.   
"And you get the same reaction all the time. So stop complaining," Axel smirked.   
"Seriously? You know if I'd known that was all it was going to take for you to get over yourself, I would've done that a long-" Axel cut off Roxas's complaining with a brutal kiss. Roxas staggered back a bit in surprise, Axel catching him by the waist. He bit Roxas's ear.   
"Let's go upstairs," Axel said. It wasn't a question.   
"Wait a minute, who the hell said you were forgiven-Hey! Put me down!" Roxas protested as Axel ignored and picked him up, throwing him over his shoulder as he headed for the stairs.  
"Damnit, Axel! I hate you!"  
"Love you too, babe."

 

_Monday Morning:_

  
Riku could only pray that he hadn't completely messed everything up. He couldn't get the look of Sora's terrified face out of his mind. The boy looked absolutely scared to death, like Riku was going to kill him or something. He'd never seen someone react like that to a grab before. And it was very clear he didn't want Riku near him as he darted out the classroom that day. Riku sighed as he leaned against his locker. He really messed up, and he hadn't tried to either, he didn't know that counted as messing up. He had no doubt Vanitas knew about what happened already, and was probably just waiting until the weekend was over so he could come and kick Riku's ass. Riku felt as though he didn't deserve it at all, he didn't know what he did that was so bad. But maybe grabbing Sora was a big no no for some reason. Whatever it was, Riku was definitely going to apologize. But he had to do it before lunch. He couldn't sit at Sora's table if Sora was still looking at him like he was a maniac.   
The gods must've been looking out for him because as he was on his way to the bathroom, he saw Sora coming down the hallway, probably looking for the bathroom as well. Riku called to him.   
"Sora!" he called.   
He watched as Sora paused in his walking, and took a long moment before turning around.   
"R-Riku...hi?" Sora said, although it came out as more of a question.   
"Hey, um, can we talk?" Riku asked. Sora opened his mouth and then closed it. He didn't like this at all. This boy had grabbed him and now nobody but those two were in the hallway. Sora bit his lip.   
"If you're willing to skip class, I'd like us to talk. If you want to, that is," Riku tried again. He really wanted Sora to stay and talk. Sora didn't respond for a moment. He liked Riku. Riku was smart and humorous. And outside of the guys, Riku was...a friend. Yeah, a friend. Sora pulled out his phone and text Roxas to tell him that he went to the nurse because he wasn't feeling well. But he told him not to tell Vanitas because it was just a headache. He put his phone away and nodded at Riku.   
"Good" Riku let out a sigh of relief, "Let's go."  
"Go?" Sora asked.   
"We'll get caught if we stand in the hallway. There's an empty classroom just down the hall-"  
"Can we go outside?" Sora asked instead. He didn't want to be alone with Riku in an empty classroom. That was way too risky. Riku looked confused for a moment but nodded anyway. Together, they snuck past to the stairwell and used the side door to go out. They ended up in one of the corners where janitors used to go to their smoke break.   
"What did you want to talk about?" Sora asked, leaning against the wall furthest from Riku. He was giving himself enough space to dodge Riku and make a run for it should something happen.   
"I wanted to apologize," Riku said. Sora was confused. Apologize for what?  
"What?" Sora asked.   
"About grabbing you last week. I'm sorry. I didn't realize that wasn't okay. We don't really know each other that well and I should've respected your boundaries that I didn't really know you had. I meant nothing by it, I swear. I was just trying to get your attention. I shouldn't have touched you and I won't do it again. I won't touch you again without asking. But I wanted you to know that I was sorry. Okay?" Riku said.   
Sora was confused. Riku was actually apologizing about grabbing him? It was different when this happened with Axel. They were in Cloud's house, Axel had broken a rule, and while it wasn't that long ago, Sora still wasn't all that adjusted when that happened. But that was a rule Axel had broken. Riku, while he technically did break that, he wasn't aware of it. And he was apologizing? He felt bad for doing it? And he said he wasn't going to touch him without his permission. Sora was stunned. But he smiled a little. This kid didn't even know him as long as Axel had.  
But he had apologized. And he looked like his meant it.   
He was going to respect his boundaries. Sora could live with that.   
Sora nodded in understanding.   
"It's okay...I overreacted...it's just kind of hard to explain why-"  
"You don't need to" Riku said, "It's not my business. But now I know. Ask beforehand. Or at least warn you. Don't make it seem like it was your fault, I was wrong. Do you accept my apology though?"  
Sora nodded, "Yeah, I forgive you."   
Riku held out his hand, waiting for Sora to come and shake it. Sora looked at it blankly. Why was Riku holding out his hand?   
"What do you want now?" Sora asked. Riku furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.   
"A handshake?" Riku half laughed. He bit his lip to keep from laughing as he watched Sora's face flush in embarrassment. Sora couldn't believe his stupidity. Riku just wanted a handshake. He quickly shook his hand before retreating back to his wall, now full on ashamed of his incompetence. God, he really was nothing more than a pathetic slut. Out of all the things he assumed Riku wanted, and a handshake wasn't one of them.   
Riku cocked his head to the side in amusement. While he was now really curious as to why Sora was so skittish, he just thought it was all the more cuter. Maybe that was why all his friends were always around him. Maybe he's like this because he got bullied as a child? Riku didn't like the thought of someone bullying a kid like Sora. He seemed so sweet, and he was clearly the one to protect within his little circle of friends, and Riku, somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he wanted to be a part of that circle. That circle of protection, whatever it was from.   
Sora's phone suddenly, went off, breaking the silence. Sora looked at the caller ID.  
"It's Roxas. Class is over," Sora said.   
"We should head in then, it's lunch. They'll be looking for you," Riku said, holding the door open. Sora nodded before heading, Riku closing the door behind them. Nobody noticed that they had came from outside. When they got to the cafeteria, Vanitas was the first one up and out of his seat when he spotted them.   
"Sora, where were you?" Vanitas asked, then he eyed Riku, "And why is he with you?"  
"Relax, Vanitas. I wasn't feeling too well in Biology. I went to the school nurse," Sora lied. He felt bad about saying that. He never lied to any of his friends, especially his cousin. Why was he even lying? For Riku? So Vanitas wouldn't smash his face in if he found out they were alone together?   
"Are you sick? Do you need Cloud to come get you?" Vanitas asked as the three of them made their way to the table, Riku walking behind them to give them space.   
"No, it was just a headache," Sora said.  
"Alright. Question halfway answered. So why is he with you?" Vanitas asked, nodded back towards Riku.   
"Because he's sitting with us today whether you like it or not. I just ran into him as I was coming here," Sora said, sticking his tongue out as his cousin. Vanitas rolled his eyes but didn't say anything more as he moved over so Riku could sit. For some damn reason, Sora was enjoying Riku's company, and Vanitas didn't feel like upsetting him if he already wasn't feeling physically well.   
"You're back," Roxas said as Riku sat down.   
"Pure luck," Riku said back, nodding towards Sora as if to say "whatever he says goes I think"  
"Riku!" they all heard a voice call. They turned to find Zexion coming over to them.  
"Baby!" Demyx smiled, "What are you doing here? I thought you were going home for the day?"  
Zexion, unlike a lot of seniors, had finished half his classes the summer prior, so he was free to leave halfway through the day. Zexion let Demyx kiss him on the cheek before throwing a bookbag at Riku, who caught it.   
"You left this in class," Zexion said.   
"Right. Thanks, man," Riku said. Zexion nodded.  
"You two are friends?" Demyx asked.  
"You mean Zexion actually talks to people?" Axel laughed.   
"Shut up, pyro. Riku doesn't happen to be a moron like the others. It's tolerable," Zexion shrugged.   
"Good to know," Riku smiled as Zexion waved them all farewell. Demyx pouted.  
"I'm jealous Zexy gets to leave early," Demyx whined.   
"Demyx, how come you never invite Zexion over?" Sora asked. Demyx shook his head.   
"He works a lot after school. He doesn't really have the time to hang out," Demyx said.   
"Yet, he miraculously makes time for Demyx," Roxas added. Demyx beamed.   
"That's right! That's my baby!" Demyx cooed.   
"Barf," Vanitas said. Sora laughed, covering his mouth so it wasn't obvious. Riku thought that was strange. Why was he hiding that he was laughing?   
By the time history class rolled around, Riku was pretty sure that he and Sora were back to normal. He and Sora even went back to their routine, Riku naming movies and tv shows and being shocked at how many Sora had never seen. Riku swore to himself he was going to make a list for Sora to watch. The boy needed to be cultured.   
"Um, Riku?" Sora asked.  
"Yeah?" Riku said. Sora looked down.  
"That day...when you grabbed me...what was it that you were trying to get my attention for?" Sora asked. While he had forgiven Riku for what he had done, he was also now curious as to why Riku was trying to get his attention in the first place. Riku's ears flushed as he remembered what it was and he bit his lip.   
"Oh...right. Um, I was...nevermind, don't worry about it," Riku said, feeling stupid. Wow, Riku, way to punk out Riku thought to himself.  
"No, what was it?" Sora asked. He at least wanted to know what was so important. Riku cocked his head to the side a little as he looked away. Sora didn't know why but he also found that...attractive, yeah that word.   
"I was going to ask you if I could have your number," Riku said in a breath, finally meeting Sora's eyes. Sora blinked. He wasn't expecting that.   
"What do you want my number for?" Sora asked. Why would anyone want his number? Cloud and Leon and the guys had in just in case something happened, but what would Riku want with it?  
"What? Well, so we can talk...you know...when we're not near each other," Riku said. He felt weird explaining this. Why else would he want his number? He watched and the urge to laugh rose again as Sora turned away as his face heated up. Jesus christ, why was he so stupid?! Of course that's what he wanted it for! He knew what texting was, he just did it to Roxas and he watches Vanitas do it all the time! Why was he an idiotic slut at the worst of times? First the handshake, and now this. He read fiction novels, he knew this! Then something occurred to him.  
Riku wanted to talk to him when they weren't together. That made them friends now, right?  
"Oh...okay," Sora said as he recomposed himself. He wrote his number on a piece of paper and handed it to Riku who put it in his phone. Thank goodness they sat in the back or else Sephiroth would've killed him for having his phone out right now.   
"I'll text you so you can have mine too," Riku said. Sora nodded, resisting the urge to smile. He didn't know why the thought of having Riku's number was making him all...giddy. It was an odd feeling and he wasn't sure he liked it. Was this what it like to make a new friend? Sora couldn't recall feeling like this when he became friends with Vanitas and them, Vanitas being the exception because that was a different situation. But he also kind of didn't have a choice in that matter. They saved him, he owed them his life. He didn't owe this Riku kid anything. Maybe that's where it was coming from.

\--

 

_"Vanitas, you're drunk, get off," Ventus said, struggling to break through from Vanitas's grip on both his wrists._   
_"No," was all Vanitas said as he attacked his lips again. He bit the bottom lip and Ventus gasped from the bite. Vanitas grinned._   
_"Feels good, doesn't it?" Vanitas purred in his ear._   
_"Just shut up already," Ventus said. Vanitas chuckled. He knew the blonde was just trying to seem as if he wasn't enjoying it. His body was definitely giving him away on his lie. Vanitas grinded harder against Ventus's lower regions, and he pulled on Ventus's bottom lip when Ventus tried to bite it to prevent himself from moaning._

  
Vanitas woke up way faster than his body had expected and he groaned as he leaned over in between his knees, giving himself whiplash. What the hell was that?   
"Vanitas you okay?" he heard his cousin ask from the floor. They were currently at Cloud and Leon's. Wait...  
"Sora, why are you on the floor?" Vanitas asked.   
"You fell asleep and I wanted you to have nice nap so I moved so you could lay down," Sora explained. Vanitas shook his head.   
"Don't do that. Sitting on the floor is bad for your backside," Vanitas said, although it didn't come out as much of a demand as he wanted it to. His head was still reeling. Where had that dream come from? While this wouldn't be the first time he dreamed of intimacy with Ventus, which 50% of him wished he wouldn't, that one seemed way too real. He could taste Ventus's mouth on his and he only prayed that he wasn't currently sporting an erection. He looked and found out he wasn't and sighed in relief. But that didn't shake the feeling away. The last time he kissed Ventus was at the airport when he shouldn't have done it. But that dream seemed way too real.   
The only thing Vanitas could think of that would make him horny enough to kiss Ventus was when he was drunk. And the last time he had alcohol was when...  
Oh fuck.   
"Where's Ventus?" Vanitas asked.  
"In the basement. I think he said he was trying to focus on his paper and Axel and Roxas were making too much noise for him to concentrate," Sora said. Vanitas sat up, told Sora to sit back on the couch, and went into the basement, closing the door behind him. Sure enough, Ventus was downstairs, typing away at his laptop. Vanitas knew that paper wasn't due until next week, so he knew he could disturb him.   
"Save the paper for later, we need to talk," Vanitas said. Ventus froze. Vanitas sounded extremely serious. Did Sora tell Vanitas about his cutting? If Vanitas knew, then that meant it was only a matter of time before Cloud and Leon found out, and if they found out, they were going to want to ask questions. Questions Ventus no longer felt like answering. It was too much.   
Ventus looked at Vanitas slowly as he saved the document and shut down his laptop.  
"What's up?" Ventus asked, trying to hide the obvious guilt in his voice. Vanitas knew. There was no way he didn't with that look on his face.   
"What happened that day we got drunk?" Vanitas asked. Ventus cocked his head to the side. Wait, what?  
"Huh?" Ventus asked.   
"That last week of school. When the idiots were playing Marco Polo and you asked me to come over for whatever reason and we got drunk. What happened?" Vanitas asked. He really didn't feel like playing the guessing game. He needed to know if his dream was just a fluke or not.   
Ventus didn't know whether to feel relieved or confused. That's what this was about? Vanitas just didn't remember what happened when they were drunk?  
"Is that why you're looking at me like you just saw a ghost? And for the record, you were drunk. I was tipsy," Ventus clarified.   
"Ventus, I'm not going to ask again," Vanitas said. He didn't find this humorous at all and the fact that Ventus was shrugging this off was pissing him off fast.   
"Nothing happened," Ventus said. Why was Vanitas so worked up over nothing?  
"Bullshit. I'll have you know that I just woke up from a dream that apparently wasn't a dream because it felt way too real to be one. It involved you and were making out in a very not so friendly way," Vanitas said.  
"Friendly make out is not a thing," Ventus said.  
"Ventus, not the point!" Vanitas almost hollered.   
"Vanitas, calm down. I promise you nothing happened. You for some damn reason wanted to try and piut together my statue of liberty crystal set and I went upstairs to find it. I was looking for it when you miraculously made it up the stairs. I didn't do anything. You attacked me, being horny as fuck for no reason whatsoever, and then you passed out like ten minutes later. That's it," Ventus explained. This wouldn't be the first time Vanitas had passed out drunk. And the kisses meant nothing to Vanitas. So Ventus didn't see why Vanitas was losing his marbles.   
"And what, pray tell, happened in the ten minutes I was awake?" Vanitas asked.  
"We didn't have sex if that's what you're worried about. It was a few kisses and that was it," Ventus said, "Now can I get back to my paper?"  
Vanitas just stared at him.   
"You've got be kidding me," Vanitas said.  
"What?" Ventus asked.   
"You're telling me all this like it doesn't bother you," Vanitas said. Ventus lifted an eyebrow.  
"Is it supposed to bother me? Vanitas, you were drunk, it doesn't matter. And you didn't remember until just now. It's fine," Ventus said. He opened his laptop back up and turned it on.   
Vanitas was flabberghasted. This didn't bother Ventus? Ventus, who was jealous of his damn cousin because of the amount of time he was giving him over Ventus. Ventus, the one who made a big ass deal about him kissing at the airport. The one who Vanitas pretty sure still had romantic feelings towards him...and he was completely okay with them making out while drunk?!   
Vanitas bent over and slammed Ventus's laptop shut.  
"What the fuck!" Ventus hollered, glaring at Vanitas.  
"You're lying!" Vanitas said.  
"What are you talking about?" Ventus asked.  
"Oh come off it, Ventus, I know you're lying. There's no way in hell that doesn't bother you that I kissed you with knowing full well that I don't like you like that," Vanitas said. If Ventus weren't so mad at him for almost crushing his fingers right now, that comment would've hurt more than it did.   
"Why would you want that to bother me? You should be happy it doesn't bother me. People do stupid shit when they're drunk. Roxas got drunk for the first time last year and he ended up cutting the power off a Cloud and Leon's house. People do stupid shit when they're drunk. You were way beyond your limit that night. I wasn't going to take it seriously," Ventus explained. He didn't understand why Vanitas so mad. Why was he so mad?  
"Why would you even let me get that far?" Vanitas asked.   
"I tried to stop you, you moron! You got all pissy! I'd rather deal with a horny Vanitas than an angry one like how you are right now!" Ventus said.   
"Oh, so you're telling me you didn't have feelings for me still when that happened?" Vanitas asked. Ventus opened his mouth and closed it again.   
"That doesn't mean anything!" Ventus said.  
"Yes it does!"  
"Not to you it doesn't! You gave me a very clear version of how you felt when you just fucking assumed I was jealous of Sora!" Ventus argued.   
"So you don't like me anymore?" Vanitas asked. Vanitas knew Ventus was right. If anything, Vanitas should've been over the moon that Ventus didn't try to find any deeper meaning in what happened. So why was he so mad about this?   
"I'm not answering that," Ventus replied. His wrists were starting to itch.   
"That's an answer," Vanitas said.  
"What does it matter?!" Ventus asked.  
"It matters because if you do still like me, even at that time, then that already makes it a problem. Drunk or not, I still shouldn't have kissed you! And the fact that you're saying that it doesn't bother you is bullshit! I'm the one that shouldn't care about it!" Vanitas said. Ventus wished he didn't care. He really did. Vanitas wished that Ventus did care.   
"Vanitas, listen to me" Ventus said, "People do stupid shit when they're drunk" _True_. "If you must know then yes, I did still like you when that happened" _True._ "But I'm not stupid enough to think anything of it" _Lie_. "After that little scene at my house that day, I fucking got it, okay?" _Lie_. "And I have been trying my damned hardest to get over you" _Also a lie_. "I really have. That's why it didn't bother me when it happened." _Lie_. "Stop worrying about it. Why is it bothering you so much anyway that it doesn't bother me?"  
 _Because I want you to care._  
 _"_ Look, I was just...I was just trying to be considerate of your feelings was all," Vanitas said. Ventus scoffed before he could stop himself. Vanitas's eyes narrowed.  
"And what the fuck was that?" Vanitas asked.  
"You being considerate of my feelings? Yeah, that never happens," Ventus said. If Vanitas thought this counted as him trying to be considerate of his feelings, then he was off by a long shot.   
"That's not true!" Vanitas said.  
"Yes it is and you know it! Vanitas, face it, the only reason you even asked me if anything happened was so you didn't have to feel bad about sleeping with poor old Ventus when you don't like him like that," Ventus said.  
"Don't put fucking words in my mouth, I never said that!" Vanitas said.  
"You didn't have to! I already know! Vanitas, you have never been considerate of my feelings and the fact that I still even fucking like you is a mystery even to me now! You've told me multiple times, very crudely, that you don't like me and that I need to get over my fucking feelings for you! So don't sit here and try to act like the one time you care about my feelings makes up for every other fucking time you've done nothing but shut me out because of them! You don't care! You have never cared! You didn't care then and you don't care now! Don't mess with my mind and try to get me to think for even a second that you actually care about my feelings towards you! It's partially your fault that I'm-you just don't care! Point blank!" Ventus had to stop himself at the end. He almost revealed everything, and now was not the time. With Vanitas, there was never going to be a time.   
"It's partially my fault that what?" Vanitas asked. Out of the amount of times the two of them have argued, Vanitas by any means didn't expect Ventus to flat out reject his sympathy like that. Ventus was red in the face and it was very obvious that he was trying his best not to cry in front of Vanitas. But what was Ventus about to say?   
"Nothing, I'm done!" Ventus said as he half pushed Vanitas out of the way to leave the basement. Vanitas grabbed on to his wrist.  
"No, it's my fault that what?" Vanitas asked.   
"Get off!" Ventus glared at him, harshly pulling out of Vanitas's grasp before going upstairs. Vanitas didn't chase after him. He didn't know what was worse. The fact that he completely felt like crap because Ventus was right and wrong at the same time, or that he was probably that close to finding out what was bothering Ventus this entire time. What was his fault?

 

Sora heard the door slam open and watched in horror as Ventus stormed up the stairs to the second floor and into the bathroom. Cloud and Leon weren't home and the guys were in the kitchen trying to make tacos so only Sora noticed Ventus fuming up the stairs. He waited for a moment, and he jumped slightly when he heard the door slam. Sora bit his lip. He knew what Ventus was about to do, he had heard some of the argument going on downstairs. Should he go up and try to talk to him? No, Ventus wouldn't want him there, Sora wasn't even sure Ventus even liked him. What should he do?  
No, this wasn't okay. Sora wasn't helping the situation by letting Ventus do it. He ran upstairs.  
Ventus couldn't get the damn wristband off fast enough. He was fuming. It had stopped. For once, he and Vanitas had ended a conversation that didn't end up in disaster. And once again, Ventus managed to ruin it just because he couldn't keep his feelings to himself. This was insane! This was nonsense! Why did it have to be him?!   
"Fucking idiot," Ventus mumbled as he fumbled around in his pocket case for his razor blade. He wasn't sure if he was talking about Vanitas or himself. But it didn't matter. He almost blurted out everything. He wouldn't tell Vanitas everything out of rage. He wouldn't do that. But did it really matter? Yelling seems to be the only time Vanitas listens to him. He had to ignore the hurt look on Vanitas's face when he had finally let him have it. Vanitas didn't care, he never did. Especially not when it mattered most.   
Ventus was in the process of cutting the second line when the door suddenly opened and Sora rushed.  
"Ventus, no, stop!" Sora ordered, and he wrestled the blade out of Ventus's hand.  
"What the fuck are you doing, give that back!" Ventus demanded, trying to reach for it. Sora held it out of his grasp.  
"No! Ventus, just talk about it. Please. You don't have to do this," Sora pleaded.  
"Give it back," Ventus said. He had only misdirected the pain for a second. He wasn't done.   
"Is it Vanitas again?" Sora asked.   
"Sora, I'm not talking about it. Give me back the blade," Ventus said as calmly as he could. He couldn't hurt Sora. Vanitas would murder him.   
Sora walked towards him and just as Ventus thought he was actually going to listen to him and give it back, he didn't react fast enough when Sora actually opened the window and threw the blade across the yard. Ventus ran to the window.  
"Sora, what the fuck! Why would you do that! I need that!" Ventus panicked. He was breathing too quickly for his own good. Ventus was afraid he was going to start hyperventilating.   
"You don't need it. Just talk to me. I'll listen to you. I'll listen," Sora tried again.   
"No you won't!" Ventus said, "All you want to do is know why I'm upset so you can go tell Vanitas as if that's going to make anything any better. It's none of your business. It doesn't concern you! And the people who it does concern don't fucking care! Sora, just please. Please leave me alone." Ventus really needed Sora to go. His vision was getting blurry and Sora had thrown away the razor blade. He needed another blade. The pain was becoming too strong to hold onto without the physical distraction. He was trying to hold it in so bad and it wasn't working. Every time this happened, everything he was upset about always came flashing in front of him, and he didn't want anyone, especially Sora, to witness that.   
Sora really didn't want to do that. He wasn't even sure Ventus had realized he was crying yet.  
"Ventus, you need someone to talk to," Sora said. Sora knew what it felt like to have nobody to talk to. He understood how it felt to be lonely. Which is why he was trying so hard to save Ventus from the same fate. He reached grabbed onto Ventus's wrist, but he grabbed the recently cut one by mistake and Ventus hissed and flinched away from him.   
"Don't touch me!" Ventus blurted out, and Sora wasn't sure which one did it. The way Ventus had said it or the quick look in his eyes when he said it...as if he wasn't talking to Sora.  
Ventus slid to the floor and put his head in his arms, shaking terribly. He didn't have a blade and everything was just beginning to be too much.   
"Ventus-"  
"Leave..." Ventus said shakingly. He didn't look up when he said it. Sora, now in almost full understanding, walked out and closed the door. Ventus still bit his lip to keep himself from coughing too loud and sniffled. It was only a few minutes or so before he heard the door reopen. He didn't look up. He was doomed at this point. It was most likely Vanitas. And he wasn't up for the argument. At this point, he was just going to let Vanitas have at him.   
He heard the sound of running water from the faucet. What the hell? Ventus wouldn't look up though. He felt the presence of someone standing directly in front of him.   
"Ventus, look please," he heard Sora's voice coming from directly in front of him as Ventus realized he must be crouching down to be heard that clearly. Ventus didn't want to. He really didn't want to. But the curiosity of the running water had tempted him. He looked up.  
Sora was holding his razor blade out to him.   
Ventus wouldn't look at Sora. He just kept staring at the blade in complete shock. With a shaky hand, he reached and took it from him. Sora stood up, walked out the bathroom, and closed the door without saying another word.   
Sora went back to living room to find Axel and Roxas sitting on the couch, well more Axel sitting on the couch and Roxas sitting on him.   
"You okay?" Roxas asked as Sora sat down.  
"What? Yeah, I just went to clean up my room a bit. Where's Vanitas?" Sora asked.  
"I don't know. He said he'd be back later and then he just took off," Roxas replied. Sora nodded. At least Vanitas was coming back. But he wasn't going to tell him anything. It appears he didn't know or else he wouldn't treat Ventus so badly. Maybe none of them knew?  
"Hey, why does Ventus look so sad all the time?" Sora asked.  
"Because that's just how he is," Axel replied. Roxas hit him.  
"Axel, shut up. He wasn't like that until last year and you know it" Roxas turned to Sora, "We're all not really sure but I think it's mostly because Ventus had admitted his feelings towards Vanitas and Vanitas turned him down. As far as I know, he still likes him but Vanitas makes it really hard for him to ever try to talk to him again. At least in that way."  
"Oh please, Rox, Ventus wouldn't be upset about that for a whole year," Axel said.  
"Well then maybe he's a little sad because his parents aren't around, I don't know. Ventus doesn't really talk to us about it so we leave him be. But that's just the way he is now," Roxas explained, shrugging off the conversation.   
"Do Cloud and Leon know?" Sora asked.  
"I mean I know Cloud spoke to Vanitas and told him to take it easy on Ven after he got rejected, but that's it. But as I said, Ventus doesn't talk to us so we just assume he's fine. I think it's mostly to do with Vanitas," Roxas said. Sora nodded but he didn't like those answers. It was clear nobody really paid attention to Ventus, and Sora would've been fine with that if it weren't for the simple fact that Ventus clearly needed someone to talk to. It was very clear that Ventus had told nobody what happened or else he wouldn't be this left out. Sora recognized the look all too well.   
Why hadn't Ventus told anyone he had been raped?

  
 _Alright, that's your last fast update for a while because my fingers are tired of typing. But whoa, how many of you saw that coming? I was going to wait until the very end to reveal this but I feel like it puts more pressure on Sora since now he knows it. And I know I promised that Vanitas was going to confront Riku but Vanitas doesn't need to know everything and Riku apologized so it's done with. Coming up! Pushing forward in time! Riku finally thinks its time to ask Sora out but oh my the amount of people he is going to have to go through! Will Sora accept it? Does he really have a say in the matter? And don't' forget about Sora's tormentor, he's still on the move! He's coming soon! Stay tuned! Poof!_


	22. Jumping Through Hoops, Part 1

JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS PART 1

  
"I finished all of them," Sora said as cornered Riku at his locker.  
"You did, did you?" Riku asked, taking the bag Sora was holding. Over the weekend, after finding out that Sora knew little to no knowledge of childhood classics, Riku had given him DVDs upon DVDs to watch over the weekend so they could talk about them. Riku smiled. It was now three months into school and Riku could honestly say he was enjoying himself. Becoming friends with Sora was an extra plus to him. The kid was honest, sweet, albeit a little shy, but he was so much fun to be around, when he finally opened up to him that is. Riku didn't even have to ask permission to touch him by this point. He had respected that boundary well, but he still made a habit of not grabbing him ever again. He learned his lesson after the first time. And even Sora's friends, except Vanitas, had accepted him. He and Axel were exceptionally close as they had a lot in common. Vanitas, well, while it was very clear that Vanitas still didn't like the fact that he was hanging around his cousin, Vanitas at least tolerated Riku's presence to keep Sora happy, and that was enough for Riku. Vanitas even kept his temper at bay when they would hang out outside of school. Of course, Riku had never been to Sora's house, but he didn't question why. It took him so long to get Sora to text him for the first time and it took even longer for Sora's friends to get used to him. He just considered that it was going to be a long journey.   
The entire time, Riku's feelings for Sora never changed either. He still thought Sora was adorably cute and incredibly fun to be around...even if there were times when Riku thought something was clearly going on that he wasn't aware of. There were plenty of times when it happened. He had found it odd when they were at the lake and the gang had wanted to play Marco Polo but it had already been decided that Sora was only to make sure nobody fell in the lake. He didn't like being blindfolded. Riku could understand but he didn't think it was that big of a deal for Sora to end up just sitting out of the game. Then there was the other time when they were in a restaurant having pizza. A fight had broken out between two guys at the bar and it wasn't really the fighting that did it, but Riku noticed that Sora got incredibly stiff when the first guy let out this outrageous yelling temper tantrum. Riku was only able to watch for half a second before Vanitas had pulled his cousin into the bathroom but it was kind of scary that Sora seemed almost more scared than necessary. And another time they were at Ventus's house, which Riku found similar to his own; huge and empty with no parents. They were over during a thunderstorm. At some point during the darker hours, there was a huge bolt of lightning and the power had gone out. The house had gone completely black for only three minutes or so but out of pure fright, Sora had grabbed onto Riku's arm extremely tight. At first Riku just assumed Sora must not like the dark, but he had a different look in his eyes like he was expecting something bad to happen. But Riku was also just happy that he had chosen to grab him and not Vanitas.   
But then there were things that Sora just did in general that Riku noticed but didn't comment on. Like how Sora never took off his shirt. Even at the lake when everyone was swimming, Sora opted out, and told Riku he just couldn't swim. And while Riku didn't really have to ask anymore to touch him, Sora still had this sort of...resistance to him per say. He was used to Riku tapping him on the shoulder or doing a fist bump once Sora realized what it was, but Riku had never been successful in trying to do other things like hold Sora's hand or even hug him. Not that he ever had a reason to do either but he had a grave feeling in his stomach that Sora would react the same as to how he reacted when Riku grabbed him. Sora also never seemed to want to talk about his life that went outside of his friends. The closest Riku ever gotten to knowing anything about Sora's personal life was that Sora's parents had died in a car crash years ago and that he was living with his two uncle relatives, who were a married gay couple. But Sora never talked about his childhood in detail, and if he did, it was just a one short sentence or something that didn't always sounds particularly true Riku. He was finding it really difficult to try and tell Sora how he felt about him when Sora didn't really seem willing to share things about his life. By this point, Riku was pretty sure that Sora may have gone through some severe bullying to be this closed off towards someone new, because what else would it be?   
Another thing Riku found slightly depressing was Sora's friend, Ventus. Now when Riku had actually gotten the chance to get to know Ventus, he was quite surprised to see that Ventus was actually kind of a miserable kid. He, unlike Riku, did not like the fact that his parents were never home, but it didn't look like it bothered him much. Also, Ventus and Vanitas were supposedly best friends but it certainly didn't look like it the way the two constantly bickered with one another. Riku kind of liked Ventus though. The kid obviously just preferred his own space but there seemed some sort of regret everytime he wandered off on his own. Ventus was an odd character, and he learned from Axel that he didn't used to be like that. Riku learned that Ventus had a crush on Vanitas but Vanitas had turned him down sometime last year, so Riku assumed that may be why Ventus was so off. He wondered if Ventus was the way he was before that, if maybe he went after him first instead of Sora. But Sora probably still would've won, hands down. Sora was just too damn cute, weird antics and secrets and all.   
"Yep," Sora beamed, "I have to say, some of them I didn't really understand what was so great about them. Like Chip and Dale. Those two were kind of annoying. But I liked Alvin and the Chipmunks."  
"Good to know you have good taste," Riku said as he placed the bag in his locker, "Where are the others?"  
"Probably at their lockers. They found out they don't need to follow me to mine so now I can have the morning to myself," Sora explained. As much as he loved his friends, sometimes they were suffocating him. He knew perfectly why, and he was forever grateful, even if the back of his mind was telling a slut didn't deserve this kind of treatment, but some peace and quiet in the morning was most welcome on a school day.   
"Good, I can have you all to myself then," Riku laughed. Sora wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Riku had been doing things like that recently. Riku would say weird things like 'well as long as you're there, I'm fine' or something like 'I'll go if you go' or any other weird sentence that involved only Sora. Sora didn't know what to make of it. Riku was already friends with his friends, with the minor problem of Vanitas, so Sora didn't understand why Riku only included him when he spoke of sentences like that.   
*Yep, Sora doesn't understand flirting. No amount of teen novels he read helped with that*  
Sora wanted to question Riku on these things but he mostly kept them to himself. He didn't want Riku to get mad at him or something. He liked hanging around Riku. There were a lot things Riku talked about that Sora didn't know about, but he was more than happy to hear about them from Riku. He just made them seem so important and detailed that Sora had no choice but to be curious. That was mostly why he took the films over the weekend. Riku made the movies sound so adorable and entertaining, so how could he refuse? There was also something else about Riku that Sora was finding way more entertaining than he should be. Like the way Riku's hair seemed to have a mind of its own when it blew in the wind. It looked so enchanting and more on one occasion had Sora caught himself just staring at it. Riku also had an amazing set of green eyes, which Sora thought looked to be shimmering like leaves in the summer when he talked about things he really liked. It was truly something to behold. And sometimes, if Sora was really paying attention, he noticed that his skin would tingle or he would feel a flush come to his face that had nothing to do with embarrassment and more to do with Riku and him just casually touching shoulders or Riku helping him stand up or even just now when they exchanged the bag. Sora had went through some novels in the library to try and find out why his skin was reacting that way, only to find the answers in a teen romance novel. It said it was attraction.  
After that, Sora had grappled with that information for days on end. Was he attracted to Riku? In a ....romantic way? All the things that were happening were true to the novels, but Sora had never been attracted to anyone. He didn't know how to take that. Any sort of romance towards him always ended with him on the bed in utter pain afterward. And even if he was attracted to Riku, did Riku even like him back? The novels didn't help him with that part. Sora figured Riku most likely didn't. There were lots of more interesting and less disgusting people in the world for Riku to choose from, why would Riku ever choose him?   
It was that thought one night that made Sora realize he possibly did like him when that thought left him more upset than he thought it would. He always knew nobody would like him romantically because of what he was. Why would they? But it was something about the fact that it was Riku who wouldn't like him that made Sora really upset, almost to the point of tears. He decided then and there that he may possibly have a 'crush' on Riku, who had chose to deal with him, even though he knew it was only a matter of time before Riku found out who he truly was. Sora couldn't hide it forever. Maybe another 84 years if he could help it.   
"Hey, um, I've been meaning to ask you," Riku started, rubbing the back of his neck.  
"What is it?" Sora asked.   
"Um...there's this new dumplings place that just opened in Chinatown," Riku said. Oh God, he couldn't believe he was this nervous. He's never nervous to ask anyone out! Damn, this kid was turning him into a wimp.   
"Oh, yeah, I heard about that online," Sora smiled. Cloud and Leon had taken him to Chinatown one time and Sora was absolutely in love with it. He just loved how one little community had so many good foods and vendors and that amazing tea called Boba tea. He liked being up there and made a point to make Vanitas take him at least once in a while.   
"I was wondering if you wanted to go check it out this weekend," Riku said.   
"Sure! I love dumplings! And so does Roxas. We can both eat at least twelve in one sitting," Sora laughed. Riku sighed internally. This was the part he was worried about.  
"Sora...I meant it as...you know...just the two of us?" Riku asked. He watched as the words sunk in and Sora's eyes went wide in either surprise or concern, Riku wasn't sure.  
"Oh...um...," Sora was at a loss for words. He knew this much from reading. Riku had just asked him out. Sora knew he had a crush on Riku, did Riku somehow figure that out and was asking him out because of it? This was a lot scarier than Sora had anticipated. If they were alone, that meant that Vanitas and the others wouldn't be there. What if Riku tried something? What if he tried to kidnap him? What if he hurt him and Sora couldn't get to Cloud and Leon or Vanitas? Yeah, this was a lot scarier than Sora had anticipated. Hell, he didn't anticipate Riku asking him out at all. Did he know about his crush on him?  
"You don't have to answer right now if you don't want to," Riku insisted, seeing the wheels turning in Sora's eyes. He knew Sora might reject it, but the absolute split second fear that went across the boy's face was what made Riku give him time to answer. Sora had no reason to do that...that doesn't come from bullying, does it?  
"I...what?" Sora asked, suddenly realizing what Riku had said.  
"I don't need an answer right now. You can think about it, if you want. You don't have to decide right now," Riku said. He saw relief flash through Sora's eyes and his heart didn't know whether to sink or swim.   
"Oh. Okay. Yeah. I can do that," Sora nodded. Suddenly the bell went off.   
"Please do" Riku said, closing his locker, "See you in history."  
Sora waved as Riku walked away and Sora went to his first-period class. He paused as he realized something. Was he supposed to have an answer by history? Oh no.

 

"Riku asked me out for dumplings this morning," Sora said in art class. Roxas almost dropped his paintbrush. Aerith was having a free period so everyone was doing any kind of art they felt like doing. Sora was making a scenery out of clay and Roxas was painting a beach scene when Sora just suddenly decided to say that.  
"What?" Roxas said in complete disbelief. This was completely coming in from the left field. Riku had been friends with them for a while now, and Roxas generally liked Riku as a person, especially since he was the only friend Sora made that didn't know anything about Sora's past. But he had no idea Riku had liked Sora that way. And he had asked him out this quickly? Even Axel hadn't been that bold-scratch that, Axel had quite literally pushed him against a wall and kissed him before he even thought of asking him out. But this was quite shocking. All Roxas knew was that Vanitas was going to flip shit.   
"Yea. I was returning the movies to him and he asked me if I wanted to go to a new dumpling place that opened in Chinatown," Sora said, not looking at Roxas, even though Roxas had stopped painting the second Sora spoke up. Chinatown? That was at least a 30-minute drive from Cloud and Leon's house, and that was if you were driving like a maniac like Vanitas and Axel.   
Vanitas was going to go ballistic.   
"Well, what did you say?" Roxas asked. Sora shook his head.  
"I didn't answer him" Sora said, "I didn't know how to answer him. I mean, that's really scary. I'd be by myself with him..."  
Roxas didn't need Sora to continue to know where Sora's thoughts were going. Even though Riku was now a friend, that didn't mean they knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't try anything with Sora. Sora wasn't used to this type of stuff. Out of everyone Riku could've picked to ask out, it just had to be the one who not only was completely unaccustomed to this, but also was related to the devil himself.   
"Do you want to go?" Roxas asked, "Because if you don't want to go, then just tell him so. That way, it's over and done with."  
"I don't know," Sora replied. He hadn't told any of his friends about his newfound crush on Riku, and seeing Roxas react like this wasn't making him want to tell them. Vanitas would lose it. He barely liked Riku being around him.   
"I mean, while there's plenty of reasons why I shouldn't go, I have this strange feeling...that I should go. I think a part of me wants to go too," Sora said slowly, choosing his words wisely. Something suddenly clicked to Roxas and he couldn't help but laugh.   
"You like him, don't you?" Roxas asked. Sora dropped the piece of clay he was currently trying to manipulate into a coil. How the hell did Roxas figure that out?   
"What? How-how did you-"  
"You wouldn't be thinking this much about it if you didn't," Roxas smiled.  
"I wouldn't?" Sora asked. Geez, was it that simple?  
"Nope. You would've told him no this morning. Maybe if he had asked you out like a month or so ago, you would've said no, but you've gotten used to him, per say," Roxas explained. While he never tried to assume Sora had a thing for Riku, the simple fact that Sora was even considering going at all had made it clear for him.   
"Roxas, you can't tell Vanitas. He just might kill Riku," Sora said. Sora knew his cousin wouldn't be mad at him for liking Riku, he would just hate it that it was Riku who Sora was crushing on. Roxas nodded.  
"I won't even tell Axel. It's not their business anyway. You can make choices by yourself. It's Cloud and Leon who you have to talk to," Roxas said. Sora stiffened. He had completely forgotten in that short notice who he was living with. Cloud and Leon were kind people, but they didn't even know Sora had made a new friend outside of the guys.   
"I haven't even told them about Riku at all! They don't even know he exists," Sora said. Roxas sucked on the inside of his cheek, thinking.  
"Ooh. That's a tough one" Roxas said, thinking it over. Then his eyes lit up, "Wait, I've got an idea."  
"What?" Sora asked.   
"Tell Riku to hold off on that dumpling thing. Cloud and Leon need to see him and at least determine if he's worthy of your time. Invite him to come over tomorrow night," Roxas said. Sora thought about it. That would make more sense. If Cloud and Leon at least got to see Riku and see that he's not that bad of a person (as far as Sora knew) then maybe their consent would be enough for Sora to say yes to the dumpling date. His cheeks flushed. Is that what that was? It was a date?   
"I can do that" Sora finally decided, smiling, "Thanks, Roxas. You're the best."  
"No problem. I figured Vanitas couldn't punish him too much if Cloud and Leon at least think he's okay," Roxas said as he picked up his paintbrush and began painting again. Sora relaxed a little and went back to his clay.

 _Third Period, Chemistry Class_  
"Riku, why you look so glum?" Axel asked as he flicked a piece of paper into the trashcan. Once Riku had become friends with them, Axel realized that he shared at least three classes with the silver-haired dude. They switched seats to talk, and pretty soon, Axel found himself enjoying Riku's company. The guy was a cool person, and he was totally down for the idea of fun that Axel preferred. Axel could see him and Riku getting into some adventures that Roxas would kill him for. If Demyx wasn't already his best friend, Riku was a nice candidate. They had the same interests, willing to get in trouble for the right thing, and both agreed that Roxas totally owes Axel roadhead. That was a plus for Axel.   
"I feel like I just dug myself a hole for no reason today," Riku said as he mindlessly scribbled down some notes from the film they were watching. Axel wasn't even paying attention to the film. He would just ask Zexion for his later.   
"Why? You got a suspension?" Axel asked. Riku snorted.  
"No. Even if I did, I wouldn't care. My parents wouldn't care either. They already know teachers just have it out for me for no reason," Riku laughed.  
"Then what's up?" Axel asked. Riku was debating hard on telling Axel. Axel had been friends with Sora way longer than Riku had. Would Axel even like the idea of Riku liking Sora? He already knew if Vanitas ever found out, he was going to be six feet under.   
"You have to promise me you won't tell anyone," Riku said.  
"Dude, did you kill someone?" Axel asked although it was clear he was joking. Riku had this serious look on his face and Axel didn't like it.   
"...I asked out Sora this morning," Riku said at last. He watched as the emotions flashed before Axel's own green eyes.   
"Whoa...," Axel said. He couldn't believe it. Now Axel wasn't a complete idiot, he knew Riku had a tiny thing for the brunette since Riku had sat with them at lunch that first time. Axel was pretty sure he was the only one who did know. But he thought Riku considered his chances lost once it was clear that Vanitas would never like him. But he had asked Sora out? This morning? Axel tried to lighten the mood.  
"Well, why the long face? Did he say no?" Axel asked. He could perfectly understand why Sora would say no, with everything that's happened to him. But Riku didn't, and he at the very least should get an explanation, even if it wasn't completely true. Just as Axel was thinking up false reasons why Sora would say no, Riku spoke.   
"He didn't decide. I didn't like this look he had in his eyes when I asked him, so I told him he could think it over," Riku asked.  
"What do you mean you didn't like his look?" Axel asked, his eyes narrowing a little. He liked Riku a lot, but if Riku wasn't okay with Sora not saying yes automatically, then they were going to have a problem.   
"It was really quick but he almost looked...scared? Like it wasn't nervousness, it just looked like fear and I didn't understand why. But I hated that I was the one who caused him to look like that so I told him he didn't have to answer me right away," Riku explained. Axel let out a breath. Crisis averted. He was actually a little surprised that it came from Riku actually caring that he could've possibly scared Sora.   
"I have to say man, I give you kudos. I mean, I knew you might've liked the kid but-"  
"Wait, what?" Riku asked.  
"Oh, yeah dude I knew" Axel laughed, "It wasn't that obvious, but I had a feeling that you did. I give you kudos for asking him out this quick though."  
"Was that wrong to do so?" Riku asked.  
"Well, aside from Vanitas, I don't really think so," Axel said. While he didn't know Riku like that, he also thought Sora should have a taste of normalcy. Dating was normal.   
"Well, in that case, can I ask something else?" Riku asked. Axel nodded.   
"I don't mean to sound nosy or mean, but why is Sora like that? I mean, it's not a big deal, but I just notice that sometimes he doesn't really want to have people touch him, and he's a little closed off, at least to me which might have to do with the fact that I'm new, but I don't know it's just a little odd. Was he severely bullied when he was younger? That's the only reason I can come up with as to why he would behave as such," Riku said. He really wasn't trying to sound mean, but if he at least knew why Sora was so closed off then maybe he wouldn't feel like he's doing something wrong when it comes to him. He watched as Axel looked away for a moment before sighing.  
"Honestly, it's not something that's my business to tell. And to be honest, the rest of us, even Vanitas, only know bits and pieces of anything. But it's really not my business to tell. And for the sake of Sora's feelings, I wouldn't ask him. He's not really ready to talk about it," Axel decided. It was weird trying to explain to Riku what it was, but he knew he couldn't tell anything. If anything, Riku just thinking Sora was bullied was an acceptable thing to do. He made a mental note to say that to the rest of the guys. Maybe it was best if Riku just thought Sora was bullied. He didn't need to know the truth. They all only knew partially the truth. It was Sora who went through everything.   
Riku nodded.  
"I can respect that," Riku said. He was a little taken aback that he wasn't even allowed to ask Sora, but it must've been severe for nobody to be talking about it. Maybe Sora would tell him in do time. But for now, he still had to keep a watch on what he did or said around him. He could do that.   
"Do you think he'll say yes?" Riku asked, changing the subject back to the original one. Axel shrugged.  
"Honestly, I don't know. I'm not sure if Sora is even gay or bi," Axel said. With Sora's past, Axel could completely understand if Sora never even wanted to see a cock again in his life.   
"I guess I'll have to wait then," Riku decided, slouching his shoulders in defeat. He was almost regretting asking him out so soon. What if Sora really did so? He really liked him.

 _History Class_  
Sora was a little sad that Riku hadn't shown up to lunch. Axel had explained that it was because he had to go to speak with a teacher about a bad grade he hadn't deserved. Sora was ready then and there to tell him his decision. In his way, it wasn't really a no, it was more of a 'how about this instead' answer. When he saw Riku walk into class, he smiled at him as he made his way over.   
Riku didn't know what to make of Sora's smile, but he could only assume that Sora had made his decision.  
"Hey," Riku said as he sat down.   
"Hey" Sora said, "Listen, Riku, I have something to ask you."  
Now Riku was confused. Was he asking him out now?   
"Is it okay if we hold off on that dumpling date?" Sora asked. Now Riku was a little bummed.   
"So it's a no, then?" Riku asked. Sora shook his head.  
"No, I just think that it might be better if Cloud and Leon meet you first," Sora said. Now Riku understood. He forgot the number of people he had to go through to get to Sora.   
"Oh?" Riku said.   
"Yeah. You see, they don't really even know that you exist, and it wouldn't sit well with them if I suddenly went out with some dude who they've never met. So I think they should get to know you a little bit before we do that dumpling thing. Is that okay?" Sora asked. He sure hoped it was okay. He was thinking about how more and more he actually wanted to go on that date, but Cloud and Leon needed to see Riku.   
Riku thought it over. His hopes were still up. Sora hadn't said no, he just wanted him to meet his two uncles first. That was perfectly fine. If Sora was truly bullied in the past, then it would make sense that these two people, Cloud and Leon, would want to see who Sora was hanging around with.   
"Yeah. I think I can do that. What time?" Riku asked. He couldn't help the fluttering of his heart as he saw Sora's beautiful blue eyes light up with joy. He wanted to make that happen again.  
"Is tomorrow evening okay? That way I have a chance to talk Cloud and Leon," Sora said. He was truly worried that Riku was going to get mad and not agree. But now that he knew everything was okay, he was ecstatic.   
"Tomorrow is perfectly fine. It's not like anyone is at my house who I have to tell," Riku laughed. Sora laughed with him Mr. Sephiroth hushed the both of them, which only made them laughed harder but quietly. Sora couldn't wait to tell Cloud and Leon about Riku.

 _And there goes another chapter. Riku still has a few hoops to jump through but he passed Roxas and Axel, in a way! How do you think Vanitas will react? Cloud and Leon? Will Riku find out about Sora's true past? Next chapter, Sora talks to Cloud and Leon about Riku, we get some lovely Roxas and Axel time, and it's Riku's first night at the house! Stay tuned! Comment if you want to. Poof!_


	23. Jumping Through Hoops Part II

JUMPING THROUGH HOOPS PART II

  
Sora knew that he shouldn't be as nervous as he was about this. Cloud and Leon had told him that he could talk to them about anything, so this shouldn't be any different than any other time he had to talk to them. It was only a boy...a boy that Sora decided he was attracted to and very much had a crush on after confirming it with Roxas. He was currently in the kitchen helping Leon make dinner early. He and Leon were going out that night in order to get out of the house. Sora felt bad about that. Even though they assured Sora that it had nothing to do with him, Sora still felt like it was his fault. If he weren't there, the boys wouldn't be coming over so much and the two of them would have the house to themselves. Geez, why was he a bother to everyone?  
"Hey Leon, can I ask you something?" Sora asked. Maybe if he just talked to Leon about it, it wouldn't sound so bad. Cloud was sleeping right now.   
"Sure, what's up?" Leon asked as he chopped the carrots. He was making stew so the boys could just eat it whenever they wanted.   
"Um...I have this...friend at school-"  
"That's not the boys?" Leon asked, almost immediately overjoyed yet wary at the same time.  
"Yeah" Sora said, swallowing the nervous lump in his throat when Leon had interrupted him, "He was new to school like me...and we just kind of...became friends."  
"I see. Well, that's good that you made another friend. I was worried about that," Leon said.   
"I have friends," Sora said, confused.  
"I meant outside Vanitas and them. It's good to branch out, that's one of the reasons I wanted you to go to school," Leon smiled. Leon actually was happy. If Sora was making friends outside of that circle, then that meant that he was adjusting really well.   
"What's his name?" Leon asked.  
"Riku" Sora said, "We have history class together. He was the one who gave me all those movies to watch." Leon nodded.  
"Oh, so that's who did that. Well, he seems to like you enough then to let you borrow that many tapes. But what was it that you wanted to ask me?" Leon asked.  
"I was wondering if it would be okay if Riku came over?" Sora asked. He watched as Leon slowed on chopping the carrots before he stopped completely, thinking it over. This is what Sora was afraid of. What if he said no?   
"He wouldn't be spending the night" Sora said, "I just want you and Cloud to meet him is all."  
"Have the boys met him?" Leon asked.   
"Yeah! He and Axel really clicked with each other. Roxas likes him and I think Ventus is okay with him, I'm not sure," Sora forced a laugh.   
"And Vanitas?" Leon asked. Sora's smiled dropped.  
"Vanitas doesn't really like Riku since he bloodied my nose but-"  
"He what?" Leon asked, turning his attention to Sora completely. Someone hurt Sora at school?  
"No, it was an accident" Sora said right away, realizing what he said just sounded like, "I was heading towards the bathroom and Riku didn't see me when he pushed open the door and it slammed into my nose. But everything's fine, he even helped me wash the blood off...That was actually how we met. He did apologize though."  
"And this is the same kid you want to bring over to our house?" Leon asked. He was a little less concerned now since apparently Riku had apologized but it was also a little frightening that Sora hadn't been hurt the entire time he was with the boys and the one time he talked to somebody else, they had already hurt him, even if by accident.  
"Yes. Leon, Riku's a nice person, I swear. That nose thing was like the first week of school and nothing like that has happened since. Vanitas just likes to hold a grudge," Sora said. Leon chuckled at that.  
"That he does," Leon said. He sighed.  
"So you really want him to come over?" Leon asked. Sora nodded. Leon pursed his lips. While he didn't mind another being in their house (he and Cloud should probably buy a new house at this point. They were planning to anyway after they shut down the organization prior), he was quite surprised that Sora was fighting so hard for someone to come over. Maybe this Riku kid wasn't bad. Sora didn't branch out, and it took him a while to adjust to the boys. What was one more?  
"I'll talk to Cloud about it when he wakes up," Leon said. Sora nodded again. That was enough for him. It wasn't quite a 'yes' but it wasn't a 'no' either.   
"Why don't you go clean up the living room before everyone gets here. I can handle the rest over here," Leon said. Sora smiled and left to the living room. Leon stirred the pot, knowing that talking that over with Cloud was going to be a battle. Cloud had already fussed about Sora going to school, and he now Sora had made a friend that had initially bloodied his nose. He shook his head just imagining the conversation he would have with his husband over dinner tonight.

 _Outside Ventus's House_  
Vanitas was giving Ventus ten more minutes before he just drove off and left without him. Normally, he would only give him five minutes after he arrived but he was busy looking through his phone. Every once and a while he would remember that he had a billion pictures in his gallery but he hardly ever looked through them. He was mostly looking through it to delete some as his phone was getting low on space after Sora kept sneaking pictures in there when Vanitas wasn't looking. Not that he minded, but now as he was looking through them he couldn't help but let his mind wander.   
Vanitas didn't have much variety in his photos, mostly because the photos in here were taken by other people and not really by him. He didn't realize that he had a lot in here of him and Ventus. Those photos were the ones he paused on. Some of them he didn't remember taking, but then there were the ones that he had remembered because he had actually smiled for the pictures once in a while. One picture had the two of them attempting to finish some huge ice cream sundae Axel had dared them to finish. Vanitas had a spoonful in his mouth while Ventus was holding his head, probably complaining about brainfreeze. Then there was another one of them of Ventus on top of Vanitas after Vanitas had successfully managed to walk over a tree trunk with Ventus over his back. An older one was Vanitas actually hugging Ventus when they were in middle school, when Ventus had finished first in some contest Vanitas couldn't remember, the medallion around his neck.   
There was another picture in his gallery somewhere that Vanitas was looking for, which was his favorite but he would never tell anyone. When he finally found it, he hovered on it so long that his phone kept almost going black if he didn't tap on it. It was one of the few pictures that Vanitas had actually taken of the two of them. They were standing in front of a tree, and Vanitas had his arm around Ventus's shoulders in a brotherly embrace. Vanitas's arm was out holding the camera, and Ventus, with flushed cheeks, had his hands up in a peace sign and was smiling. Vanitas was also smiling. Vanitas remembered this picture as clear as day. It had been their first semester of high school, and Ventus had been nervous about attending high school because he was small and didn't want to be bullied. Vanitas, being the smug asshole that he still is, had wrapped his arm around his best friend, taken the picture, and had post it, claiming that Ventus was his best friend and if everyone knew what was good for them, then they would leave him alone. It was funny because the picture had actually worked. Seifer had once tried to corner Ventus in the hallway to so call test out Vanitas's threat and Vanitas had beaten Seifer almost into a concussion that same day. Nobody had bothered Ventus since and Ventus had reposted the picture afterwards in gratitude.  
Vanitas didn't know he was crying until he felt something slide down to his chin and he wiped it away. He didn't know where the hell that came from. But he frowned now upon looking at the picture and all the others. They brought back raw memories, however happy they were. These were better times for him and Ventus. They had been so close, and they told each other everything. What happened? Why were they like this now? They still spoke to each other and hung out but they were constantly fighting and Ventus had closed himself off from Vanitas.   
It's partially your fault that-!  
Was this all really Vanitas's fault? He had shut Ventus out slightly after Ventus had confessed his feelings, but what was he supposed to do? His best friend was not supposed to have a crush on him, and he didn't know what to do. He was angry for separate reasons he wouldn't admit to himself, but he didn't do it alone. Ventus shut Vanitas out almost entirely, and he seemed to have a problem with his cousin which pissed Vanitas off even more. But what was partially his fault? Maybe if Vanitas hadn't let his anger get the better of him every time, Ventus would've told him? No, that couldn't be it. Ventus was hard-headed, even more so than Vanitas. Vanitas closed his eyes and sighed deeply. What had happened to them?   
His passenger door opening shook Vanitas out of his solemn thoughts as Ventus climbed in.  
"Sorry, I was on the phone," Ventus said as he shut the door. Vanitas closed the pictures on his phone automatically.   
"Parents?" Vanitas asked as he backed out of the driveway. Ventus shook his head.   
"Grandparents, actually. They talk forever and didn't understand that I had to leave," Ventus shrugged. If Vanitas wasn't paying attention to driving, he would've noticed Ventus lying. Of course it was his parents who had called, but Vanitas didn't seem to care about Ventus's mommy and daddy issues so why bother telling him anymore?   
The rest of the ride went in silence as two best friends kept to themselves.

 

 _Leon and Cloud at Champs_  
"So you mean to tell me that the new hire honestly thought you were straight until just yesterday?" Cloud asked over a plate of steak and potatoes. Leon nodded. The two of them were out at Champs, having been craving the place since even before Sora came to live with them. And it was nice to finally be alone and not in the house.   
"Yup. You can imagine her surprise when you came to pick me up yesterday and outright kissed me in the lobby," Leon said. Cloud laughed.   
"Did having a picture of me in your office do nothing to make her question it?" Cloud asked.  
"She thought you were my best friend. Which you are, but she didn't know how best you were," Leon winked. Cloud laughed again.   
"I hate to say this, but it's nice to be out of our own house," Cloud said.  
"I agree. It reminds me of the times when the organization was still open. Every time we had a kid stay with us, our house suddenly became full house. We might have to actually buy a bigger house," Leon said.  
"Not like we weren't planning to anyway. Just not so soon," Cloud smiled.   
"Oh, that reminds me. Sora had an interesting request today," Leon said as he bit into his pasta.   
"Really now? What was it?" Cloud asked.  
"Apparently he made a new friend at school that neither of us knew about until I found out today. His name is Riku and Sora wants to invite him over for a night," Leon said it as casually as he could. He saw Cloud pause in his chewing and knew the battle had begun.   
"How long has Sora known him?" Cloud asked. This was interesting indeed.   
"Not sure how long they been friends, but he and Sora have history class together as Sora told me. He already knows the boys. Vanitas doesn't like him but Vanitas doesn't like anyone," Leon pointed out.  
"How do the others feel about him?" Cloud asked.   
"Sora says that Axel has really warmed up to him and Roxas likes him. Ventus is questionable as always and as I said, Vanitas doesn't like him," Leon recounted what Sora had told him.  
"Vanitas hardly knows him," Cloud said. Leon bit his lip. This was the part he was worried about.   
"Well, Vanitas had a reason to at the beginning. Apparently, Sora and Riku only met when Riku accidentally hit Sora with a door and bloodied his nose. Vanitas hasn't forgiven him since I believe," Leon said. He watched as Cloud's widened when he realized Sora had been hurt and they weren't around.   
"He hurt Sora?" Cloud asked.  
"Cloud, calm down, it was only an accident. Sora said he apologized and he helped him wash off the blood. No harm, no foul. I was worried myself at first but Sora doesn't seem bothered by it," Leon said.  
"Yes, but Leon, Sora's default is to apologize for everything. He probably apologized for causing a fuss before that Riku boy apologized for hitting him," Cloud said.   
"What does it matter, Cloud? They're friends now, and Sora thinks he's okay. I know Sora doesn't exactly have...the most correct view of how things go but he's always cautious. If he wants Riku to come over, then maybe the kid isn't so bad," Leon said. He wanted Cloud to agree for the sake of Sora. He knew Cloud was attached to Sora. After all, Sora's case wasn't the normal that he and Cloud had dealt with, and they never lasted this long but this one was different. Sora didn't have anywhere to go and he couldn't go back to where he came from, who knows what would happen to him. But Sora was branching out, and Leon needed Cloud to see that it was a good thing.  
"Cloud, I think we should let him come over. We can think of it as a test sort of. If either me or you think that something is off about the kid, we will just have to explain to Sora that he can't be around him. You read people well, Cloud. If the kid is fine, then let Sora have some fun. Deal?" Leon asked.   
"It's not just that, Leon. My concern is a little odd so to put it," Cloud said.   
"What do you mean?" Leon asked.  
"As undermined as this is going to sound, don't you think it's a little weird that Sora would become friends with someone who hurt him, even by accident?" Cloud asked. Leon tilted his head in confusion.   
"Axel hurt him by accident," Leon said.  
"Axel scared him, he didn't hurt him," Cloud corrected.  
"I don't understand," Leon said. Cloud sighed as he swallowed a forkful of mashed potatoes.  
"Maybe this is jumping the gun entirely, but something about Sora attaching himself to someone who hurt him worries me. I mean, while we don't know everything that happened to him, before us his only company was someone who hurt and abused him both physically and mentally. Sora couldn't do anything in that situation and he was kind of forced to...I guess resign to his fate so to speak. And behaving and just letting things happen was how Sora survived. It just..with Riku hitting him with the door..." Cloud trailed off. He wasn't explaining this right and he knew it.   
"Are you saying that Sora is only hanging around and being nice to Riku because he's afraid Riku will hurt him again?" Leon asked. That truely was jumping the gun.   
"I'm just trying to consider where Sora's brain must've went when it happened" Cloud said, "I mean, think about it, Leon. Sora met the kid because the kid hurt him. And then come to find out they share a class together. Sora doesn't want Riku to hurt him again, so what is he to do since he can't exactly avoid him in class? He has to be nice to him in hopes that Riku won't bully him or something. It's the only way Sora knows how to react. Something bad happens to him, he shrinks back and resigns to just...behaving to the other person's liking-"  
"Cloud, Cloud, stop" Leon had to interrupt his lover, "You sound like a crazy person. I think you are thinking way too much about this. We don't even know the kid, Cloud. And I'm pretty sure Axel wouldn't be so friendly with him if Riku was a bully or if he was pressuring Sora into being nice to him. And Sora wouldn't willingly keep hanging out with someone like that. Sora wouldn't have asked for him to be allowed to come over. Baby, you're thinking too hard." He grabbed Cloud's hand from across the table and rubbed his fingers over Cloud's knuckle joints. Cloud was truly overreacting. He had literally imagined the worse situation possible and Leon found it kind of cute even though it was utterly ridiculous. Cloud smiled slightly.  
"I guess I do sound a little crazy," Cloud said.  
"You think?" Leon laughed, "Look, let's just let the kid come over tomorrow. If he's okay, he's okay. If he's not, we will take care of it."  
Cloud was silent for a moment before he nodded in agreement. Leon was right, he was overreacting. Sora had a circle of friends to protect him from people who would abuse his shy demeanor to their liking. Maybe this Riku kid wasn't so bad after all. He blew a kiss to his lover across the table before they resumed eating their food.

 

 _Cloud and Leon's House,_ 2 am  
Sora honestly didn't know why he never remembered to refill his refrigerator. Here he was again, waking up to go get some water from downstairs because he couldn't remember to put more than one bottle of water in his mini fridge. He stretched as he got out of bed and quietly made his way downstairs. He looked towards the living room and saw Ventus asleep on the floor, Vanitas on the two seater couch, and Demyx snoring slightly on the three seater couch. He smiled and walked into the kitchen, turning the kitchen light on low so he wouldn't disturb them. He didn't deserve friends like this, but he allowed himself a moment of happiness as he thought about them.   
It didn't hit him until he was halfway up the stairs with three bottles of water before he noticed what he didn't before.   
"Where are Axel and Roxas?" Sora asked himself quietly. The two hadn't left earlier that night, and Sora was pretty sure that Roxas was even the first to fall asleep out of all of them. Where were they?  
As Sora walked past the basement door to go check the other room, he heard a strange noise coming from beside him. He looked at the basement door in confusion. Maybe they were down there? He pressed his ear to the door and listened. He heard a strange noise and it sounded like Roxas. Was Roxas sick? Was he in pain? He heard it again. That was definitely Roxas, but what was going on?

  
_In the basement_

  
"You're being loud, babe," Axel chuckled.  
"And whose-nh!- fault is t-that!" Roxas spat out in between gasping.  
"Well, I didn't expect you to wake up but now that you are, I can get more vocals out of you," Axel smirked. Roxas pinched his shoulder.  
"S-Shut up! Ah!" Roxas moaned. They were currently on the couch in the basement. Roxas had went down there earlier because the floor was hurting his back. What he didn't expect was to wake up moaning pleasure and to find his boyfriend had stripped him naked and currently had two fingers shoved up his ass. Not that he was complaining.   
Axel punished the obvious pinch with a particular thrust inside his boyfriend's rear and hooking his fingers up and to the left. Roxas clamped a hand over his mouth as an unexpectedly loud moan escaped from his throat.  
"There's my vocals," Axel said as he continued thrusting, fingers going faster now. He leaned down and removed Roxas's hand from his mouth so he could replace it with his own lips, almost immediately pushing his tongue inside. Roxas moaned into the kiss, his hands finding their usual spots in Axel's spikes, pulling and tugging every so often. Even through the kisses, Roxas could still be heard but he didn't care. The three stooges upstairs weren't going to hear them. The door was closed. He felt his release approaching and he pushed Axel's swollen lips away from his own.   
"Ah! Babe, s-stop! I'm getting-nh! I'm close!" Roxas warned as Axel just lavished his neck with kisses instead. Instead of Axel actually listening (like he ever did), he quickened his pace.  
"Ah Axel, no!" Roxas groaned, pleasure spiking through to his toes. But just before he reached his climax, Axel stopped. Roxas opened his hazy eyes and looked at his boyfriend in confusion.  
"Wha?" Roxas barely got out.   
"I thought you wanted me to stop?" Axel asked, and Roxas wanted to smack his cheeky boyfriend so bad. He was slightly shaking from the need to release and Axel had yet to remove his fingers. His other hand was pushing down Roxas's hips, preventing him from just thrusting himself and finishing it.   
"I-I-damn you! Ah!" Roxas gasped as Axel slowly removed his fingers. Roxas guessed Axel was about to put himself in at this point, so he was very confused and frustrated when he didn't feel anything. Axel moved in to kiss him on the mouth but Roxas turned his head.  
"Excuse me, have you forgotten about my situation right now?" Roxas asked. He felt Axle chuckle against his ear and a shiver of absolute pleasure shot through his spine and his weeping member was not doing anything to help.   
"Aw, does my poor little Roxy have to come?" Axel asked as he kissed the shell of Roxas's ear. Roxas moaned. Why must Axel drag this out?   
"Axel, please," Roxas forced out as Axel's hand pulled on his right nipple.   
"Hm?" Axel feigned as if he didn't hear him, kissing down his collarbone, aiming towards the other nipple that he wasn't twirling in his other finger. He bit down and Roxas closed his eyes and let out a shaky moan.   
"Axel, please" Roxas asked again. He hated begging, Axel knew this, but his cock was straining and if he didn't get his release soon he was going to lose it. Axel wanted him to beg, and honestly Roxas was so hot and needy right now that he didn't care.   
"Did you say something, babe?" Axel asked as he licked a circle around Roxas's nipple. Even though Axel was enjoying this, he knew he wouldn't last much longer himself if he deprived himself much longer. Luckily for him, he didn't have to wait. Roxas suddenly grabbed Axel's hair and pulled him back to his face, smashing their lips together.  
"Axel, I swear to God if you don't shove your cock inside me right now, I'm-Ah! Fuck!" Roxas didn't finish whatever threat it was he going to say as Axel had penetrated him rather quickly. He didn't allow Roxas to get adjusted as he just set a quick pace, his own need taking over. He pulled one of Roxas's legs over his hips and Roxas followed suit with his other leg, wrapping them around Axel's hips as Axel thrust in deeper. Roxas wasn't even trying to hold back his moaning anymore, and his mouth was opening and closing rapidly as he tried to catch his breath as his boyfriend fucked him senseless. Axel loved the feeling of being inside Roxas. He was always tight no matter how much Axel had stretched him beforehand, and it drove him insane. He locked lips with his little boyfriend to quiet those moans he was letting out or Axel wasn't going to last much longer. The kisses were sloppy and they didn't do anything but encourage Roxas to moan louder, both their tongues battling for dominance inside Roxas's mouth. Roxas lost but he could hardly care less as Axel pushed in and to the right, hitting that sweet spot that made Roxas see stars. He dug his fingernails into Axel's skin, almost drawing blood. He took a sharp intake of breath as Axel reached in between them, taking hold of Roxas's erection which had already began leaking precum. Axel moved his hand up and down, and Roxas squeezed against him, making Axel groan in pleasure.   
"Ah! Ah! Axel! Wait, don't-ah! I'm gonna-" Roxas managed to get out.   
"Me too, babe, hold on," Axel said as he bit into the junction between Roxas's neck and shoulder. Roxas was quivering under Axel's touch. He could feel release approaching rather quick.  
"Axel! Ah! Ax-I'm-" Roxas tried to warn Axel. Axel licked the shell of Roxas's ear before he managed to smirk.  
"Come for me, Rox," Axel said. That was all Roxas needed. He let out lengthy moan as his release overtook him, splattering both his and Axel's chest. Axel didn't hold out much longer before losing it himself, shooting deep inside Roxas with a grunt. He fell to his elbows so he wouldn't crush Roxas with his weight as he tried to catch his breath, Roxas doing the same, his legs sliding down from Axel's hips. Axel kissed Roxas's temple.  
"Maybe I should deny you your release more often. You were squeezing me hard as hell," Axel said. Roxas didn't have the strength to hit him, so he just barely wrinkled his nose up at his boyfriend who laughed.

  
_Upstairs_

  
Sora knew he should've moved away a long time ago once he figured out what was going on but his curiosity got the better of him. He knew his face was probably scarlett red upon hearing two of his friends having sex. It had to be normal, Roxas and Axel were dating, but Sora didn't think that he would ever hear them having sex, especially in Leon and Cloud's house.   
Sora was so confused. Is that how sex is supposed to sound? Roxas's moaning was what confused Sora probably the most. Anytime Sora was forced into sex, his moans were of pain because it never felt good. Hell, he never even had a good climax because the man even made that painful. So Sora just assumed that was how sex was meant to be. Painful thrusting and then it was over. But the way Roxas and Axel were moaning and gasping sure didn't sound painful. Roxas had even told Axel he wanted his cock. That didn't sound right to Sora. Roxas sure didn't sound like he was in pain, and neither did Axel. Sora frowned. Sex wasn't supposed to hurt?

 _Late Update, but an update nonetheless. No worries, I'm not giving up the story, it just took me a while to write this chapter. I know I said Riku was coming over but I'll save that for the next chapter. Poor Sora,_ everytime _he gets to know something, he figures out something else to make him feel even more ashamed. Next chapter, Riku comes over and it's up to Cloud and Leon to decide if Riku is worthy of Sora's time. Will they accept him? Also, after receiving an alarming phone call from Ventus, Vanitas rushes over to find Ventus- Stay tuned! Comment if you wish! Poof!_


	24. The Visit

THE VISIT

  
Riku should not be standing outside this door for this long but he couldn't help it. To say he was overjoyed when Sora text him the following day saying he could come over was an understatement but now that Riku was actually here, he was completely nervous and he knew he shouldn't be. This was just Sora's uncles after all, it wasn't like he was dealing with his actual parents. It wasn't like he was asking for Sora's hand in marriage or anything, he was just coming to hang out for a few hours and then he was leaving. That was it. So why was he so hesitant to ring the damn doorbell? Why did he feel like he was walking into a trap?  
He didn't have time to figure it out before the door suddenly opened and there was a smiling Sora at the door.  
"There you are! I thought you got lost coming down the block," Sora chuckled.  
"I got caught up in a text message and forgot to actually ring the doorbell," Riku said. It wasn't the truth, but Sora didn't need to know that Riku was standing out here because he was nervous.  
"Well, you're the first one here, so...um you can make yourself comfortable," Sora said, stepping aside so Riku could walk in. Riku decided he liked this house already better than his own. It wasn't as big as his but he liked the smaller atmosphere. It gave off a cozy feeling, a feeling of being home, and he didn't feel that even in his own house sometimes because it was so big. He wondered briefly where Sora's bedroom was before he shut that thought away. Riku took a seat on the three seater couch as he put down his bag.  
"Where are the others?" Riku asked.  
"Vanitas had to stay after school to discuss something with his teacher. I think he got falsley accused for something in class and just didn't want to get suspended again. Roxas and Axel are grabbing snacks at the store so they won't be long," Sora said as he walked into the kitchen.  
"What about Ventus?" Riku asked. After hanging out with these people for a while, Riku noticed that sometimes Ventus just didn't show up afterwards, and nobody seemed bothered by it except Sora and sometimes Vanitas, but that was debatable.   
"I'm not sure if Ventus is coming or not. Most of the time he does, but sometimes he just doesn't show up," Sora said as he came back with two bottles of water. He had learned in class that Riku didn't really care for Soda and only liked certain juices.   
"Thanks" Riku said as Sora handed him a bottle of water, "Hey, I'm sure it's none of my business, but what's Ventus's deal? I mean he just seems...upset a lot of the time but he doesn't seem like he actually wants to talk about it. Is something wrong or does he just have a resting sad face?"  
Riku watched as Sora bit his lip, deciding on whether to answer him or not. Riku immediately had the thought to replace Sora's teeth with his own before he scraped that idea.  
Whoa, where did that thought come from? Riku wondered. He knew he liked Sora, but that thought about him was a little over the top for a simple crush, no matter how cute Sora looked doing it.   
"Um, I'm not too sure. Ventus has been like that since I've known him and I think only Vanitas really knows what's going on. But if Ventus doesn't want to talk about it, then I'm sure it's nothing serious," Sora forced a smile on himself. He knew almost exactly what was wrong with Ventus on two areas, but it was not his place to tell. He promised Ventus he wouldn't tell anyone about his cutting, and Ventus didn't even know that Sora knew about the sexual assault. But he couldn't say anything. Ventus would probably never speak to him again, and he barely did that now. Sora didn't want to ruin a friendship he barely had.   
"Sora, did you open the door just now?" a voice called from upstairs.   
"Yes!" Sora called, "Riku just got here! Are you coming down yet?"   
"One moment!" the voice called back. Sora smiled.  
"One of your uncles?" Riku asked.  
"Yeah, that was Cloud," Sora said. He was very happy that Cloud and Leon had agreed to play along with this whole uncle charade. They found no need to tell Riku the truth, it was none of the kid's business. Leon had even suggested the idea before Sora could tell them that he had already labeled them as such in school. So it was good to know everyone was on the same page. Sora didn't know why he felt the need to put up a charade for Riku, but he had a feeling that if he told Riku the truth, Riku would start asking questions and soon Riku would find out that Sora was nothing more than a slut, and Sora couldn't handle the thought of that.   
Said Cloud came down the stairs shortly, and Riku stood up to meet him as was traditional in his household when relatives visited. Riku couldn't see the resemblance between Sora and Cloud. They both had spiky hair, but Cloud's looked a bit more contained whereas Sora's was more all over the place. And while Cloud also had blue eyes...they just weren't as stunning as Sora's. But Cloud was definitely built if the clothes said anything. How much did he work out? Or was in the army at some point?  
"So you're Riku. Nice to meet you, I'm Cloud," Cloud said, holding out his hand. He liked that Riku had stood up to greet him. At least the kid had manners.   
"Same to you," Riku said as he shook Cloud's hand. His eyes widened slightly at the intensity of the grip Cloud had for the three seconds they shook hands but he tried not to show it. He laughed a bit.  
"Um, that's some grip you got," Riku said, not really sure what else to say. Cloud smiled.  
"Special Unit Military training. Old habits die hard," Cloud nodded. So Riku was right, he was in the army.  
"Really? How long?" Riku asked.  
"Fourteen years. Learned how to strangle someone so quick they wouldn't even have time to struggle," Cloud chuckled. Riku laughed nervously.   
_Why do I have a feeling that was directed at me?_ Riku thought.   
"Yeah, well, if you learned your Japanese as quick as that, you would've been of some help to me months ago," another voice said as they came down the stairs. Riku looked and there was another man coming down. He had the same hair color as Sora, but this guy's hair was all spiky at the bottom, and it wasn't flying all ove the place like Sora's and it was more controlled than Cloud's. He also dark brown eyes that Riku was afraid to look at because from here, they looked a little menacing. Was that directed at him too? This guy even had a slight scar across his left eye and Riku was afraid to ask how he got it.   
"Nice to meet you, Riku. I'm Cloud's husband, Leon," the man said as he reached the bottom step and held out his hand.   
"The pleasure is mine," Riku said, taking his hand. His grip was just as tight but he chose not to comment on it this time. This guy was built just the same as Cloud and Riku was afraid of what Leon could do to someone before they had time to struggle.  
"I like your house. It has a nice cozy feeling," Riku decided instead. He was telling the truth, he really did like it.   
"Cloud picked it out, actually. He prefers cozy over spacious so I apologize if it's smaller than what you're used to. Sora told us you live by yourself?" Leon asked. Riku nodded and smiled. Here what he was thinking about earlier. The interrogation has begun.   
"Not really. I mean I don't own the place. My parents just travel a lot for work so I just decided to stay and get an education rather than go with them," Riku said.  
"Oh? What do your parents do?" Cloud asked.   
"They're researchers for natural environment. They go to animal habitats and study their lifestyle," Riku said.   
"Sounds fun. You like animals yourself?" Leon asked. Riku had to give them credit. They were both after him together.   
"Not that much to go study them. Plus they only do land animals. I like the ocean dwellers a lot more," Riku said. Sora looked up from his phone over the couch. Cloud and Leon hadn't let Riku sit back down. What was with all the questions?  
"Ocean creatures, huh? So you going to take up marine biology possibly?" Cloud asked. Damn, these guys just memorize a bunch of shit to ask him?  
"That's on the table. I also want to be a professional diver too. But if neither one works out then I'll settle for an architecture. I like to do stuff with my hands," Riku said. He almost regretted saying that last sentence as he watched Cloud and Leon's eyes flicker to Sora and back so quick it wouldn't have been seen had he not been looking at them.   
'Well it's good to know you have some options ahead of you," Cloud said calmly. So the kid liked to work with his hands, huh? Well he better keep his hands to himself tonight if he knew what was good for him.   
"Um, Cloud, Leon, there's a project Riku and I actually have to get started on?" Sora said from the couch. It was the truth after all. Mr. Sephiroth had instructed for their midterm that all he wanted them to do was to reconstruct a scene from history and make a still scene of it. While most kids had chosen to just draw something, Sora and Riku, being Mr. Sephiroth's favorites, had decided to actually build a staged scene of Boston Tea Party.   
"That explains all the matierals you asked us to buy. Well, we won't keep you," Cloud said as he went into the kitchen. Riku felt relief as he was finally allowed to sit back down and focus on all the stuff Sora had spread out on the living room coffee table. Leon was sitting in the living room as well with his laptop in his lap on the armchair. Normally, Leon would be over at the desk to do his work, but he wanted to keep a close eye on Riku in case he tried anything that he shouldn't. Now he knew he and Cloud were acting a little over the top, but that didn't mean he was going to make it easy for Riku. The kid clearly goes to the gym, as he had some muscles forming on his arms, and he was pretty good looking with his sea green eyes and his silver hair.   
"You know, Riku, you kind of look like Sora's history teacher, Mr. Sephiroth," Leon said as he typed away.  
"How do you know Mr. Sephiroth?" Sora asked, confused.  
"Sephiroth comes into my business often. We were college students together at Harvard," Leon said.   
"Wow, that's cool," Sora smiled.  
"You wouldn't be the first to say that" Riku said, "The first month of school, people thought I was his nephew or something."  
"I don't see it" Sora said, "Your hair is more on the silver side. Mr. Sephiroth's hair is just a shiny version of grey."   
"That doesn't count as silver?" Riku asked.  
"Not in my book," Sora laughed. "I once read through a book about shades of color and trust me, shiny grey and silver are not the same thing."   
"Can I borrow this book so I can seem cool in front of Ms. Aerith the next time she asks for my opinion of art in class?" Riku asked. Sora shook his head.   
"I don't have it anymore. I lost it after I moved," Sora said. Leon and Sora both knew that was a complete lie.   
"So, Riku, how long have your folks been traveling?" Leon asked, diverting whatever Riku was about to ask Sora.   
"Huh? Oh, it's only their third year in," Riku replied.   
"You lived in this city all this time?" Leon asked.   
"Oh no, I actually just moved here in mid July. I originally lived in Baltimore but my parents didn't want me being there by myself. So they decided here was better. They were actually here until the first of September so they could make sure I was settled," Riku said.   
"Ventus parents don't live with him much either. They're business investors," Leon said.  
"Yeah, Ventus told me about that. Although he seems a little bothered that his folks aren't around. Personally, I'm okay with it," Riku said.  
"Get to do whatever you want?" Leon asked. Riku could've hit himself. He practically walked into that.   
"Well, mostly I guess. But it's mostly because I don't have to take photos every five minutes of the day. My dad was a photographer before he went into research, and he used to take pictures of me all the time. It got quite annoying when I turned thirteen and the camera was always in my face," Riku said.  
Leon nodded, "Fair enough. So is history class the only class you and Sora share?"  
"Yeah. I'm a senior but Sora's so good at history that they bumped him up a level, I think. Right Sora?" Riku asked.  
"Yeah. Cloud and Leon knew that already," Sora said.   
"It just seems a little curious that you're this close to someone who you only share one class with," Leon said.   
"Well Sora was new just like I was. I guess we just kind of clicked," Riku had to word his sentences carefully.  
"You mean collided when you hit me with the door," Sora laughed.   
"I apologized for that already! And to be fair, you got me back last week," Riku said.  
"Really now? What happened?" Leon asked. He hadn't heard about this.   
"Oh we were in the library studying and Sora saw a spider crawl up the front of the book he was reading. He freaked out and smacked me in the face with the book because he threw it," Riku said.   
"I said I was sorry already!" Sora whined.   
"You're forgiven. Consider it even. I bloodied your nose and you sprained mine," Riku smiled. Sora huffed, but it was in amusement.  
Leon sat back and didn't ask anymore questions as he worked. It was a peaceful hour and a half before the rest of the gang showed up. Leon was actually quite impressed. He was listening as Sora and Riku began working on their project. Riku was very considerate at the fact that Sora didn't want to handle the scissors and he seemed okay with that. He let Sora draw out the designs as Riku worked on making the platform for the foundation. The two of them talked about everything and nothing, mostly Riku telling him stories from his childhood. Leon noticed that Sora purposely kept the conversation of Riku's childhood and not his own. Riku had clearly tried three times to get Sora to talk about his own childhood but after Sora averted the question the third time Riku dropped it. Leon nodded at that. At least the kid knew when to quit. But Leon couldn't help glancing over there every other minute or so. It wasn't because he was afraid of Riku doing anything...he just didn't know how he felt about the way Riku was looking at Sora. Riku was almost smiling to himself when he was stopped working himself for a moment just to watch Sora, and he kept finding reasons to touch Sora as well, which Leon was surprised Sora was even allowing. Riku also kept saying things about places he and Sora could go visit, and Leon had a feeling he wasn't talking about it as a group trip. But what was most surprising was Sora's behavior. It was already a big deal that Sora had invited somebody over, but Leon saw that Sora seemed more relaxed with Riku than he saw Sora with the boys at this point in the game. Sora was smiling and laughing and didn't seem to mind the touches at all. It was quite hard to ignore the rosiness in Sora's cheeks everytime Riku did something unexpected like brush a piece of lint of his shoulder or something. Actually, any contact from Riku seemed to make Sora blush. While Leon was happy Sora seemed to be having a good time, he couldn't help but think something else was in this for Riku. By the time the other boys had shown up, Riku and Sora wrapped up their project for the time being.   
"What the hell is he doing here?" Vanitas as soon as he put his bag down.  
"I told you he was coming over," Axel said, walking through the door. Roxas and Demyx followed behind.   
"I didn't think you were serious," Vanitas growled.   
"I asked him to," Sora said.  
"We had a project to work on," Riku said, smirking at Vanitas. He knew Vanitas didn't like him and would never like him, so why not have some fun with it.   
"How long has he been here? You okay?" Vanitas asked. Sora laughed.  
"I'm fine Vanitas. Riku's only been here an hour or two I believe. We worked on our history project while we waited for you guys. Did you get in trouble?" Sora asked. He knew Vanitas was going to have a problem but he was just going to have to deal with it.   
"No, everything's fine. Mr. Kiln is just an asshole," Vanitas said. He sat down in the middle between Sora and Riku, and Riku almost rolled his eyes. Vanitas was one overprotective prick. What did he think Riku was going to do? Riku wouldn't dare try anything. Leon and Cloud had already made it clear they would kill him if he tried anything on Sora, even if they didn't outright say it. Riku was beginning to question coming over. He was having fun, but he still didn't get it. All this protectiveness around Sora still didn't add up. Even if Sora had been bullied, there's clearly no need for all of this. Vanitas was one thing because he went to school with him, but Leon and Cloud with the question run down didn't apply to that all. Was this seriously just some severe bullying?   
"Where's Ventus?" Sora asked.  
"Probably home. He was acting funny all day in school so I left him to his own devices," Vanitas said. It was true. Ventus had been grouchy the entire day and Vanitas didn't feel like dealing with it. He skipped two classes, which was very unusual for Ventus, and he was scratching his wrists all day. It drove Vanitas crazy.   
"Did he say what was wrong?" Sora asked. Riku looked over at Sora. Sora's voice always changed slightly when it came to talking about Ventus and Riku had wondered why.   
"Does he ever say what's wrong? Personally, I don't care," Vanitas said.   
"Vanitas, so offense or anything, but aren't you and Ventus supposed to be best friends?" Roxas asked, but he was laughing as he said it.   
"I'm not his mom, I don't have to keep tabs on him all day. And for the record, I did ask him what was wrong and he didn't answer me so I don't care," Vanitas said.   
"Maybe you should call him?" Sora asked. Ventus left to his own devices only made Sora worry significantly.   
"I'll call him later, promise," Vanitas said, ruffling Sora's brown locks to assure him. Sora smiled at that and left it alone. Vanitas got up to go to the bathroom as everyone else settled in and Axel took out Outlast.  
"Oh my god, Axel, no," Roxas said.   
"What? I was told the wimps in here have never played it," Axel said.   
"Wimps as in everyone in this room but Axel and I," Demyx laughed.   
"What is it?" Riku asked.   
"Outlast. One of the best horror games in today's existence," Axel said proudly.  
"Why must you always find the horror games?" Sora groaned.  
"There's no ghosts in this one Sora, I promise," Axel said.  
"You don't like ghosts?" Riku asked. Sora shook his head.  
"It's weird because I like horror. I can handle the whole serial killer stuff but anything dealing with ghosts and the paranormal are just no," Sora grimaced.  
"So I'm assuming you've never seen The Conjuring?" Riku asked. Roxas's eyes lit up!  
"Yes! Can we watch the Conjuring?!" Roxas exclaimed.  
"What's that one?" Sora asked.  
"Here, I can show you a trailer," Riku said as he looked it up on his phone. Sora moved over on the couch, taking Vanitas's spot as he watched the trailer on the phone, which he almost immediately backed away from upon the first jump scare.  
"Nope! I'm done!" Sora said as Riku and Roxas laughed.   
"Come on, Sora, please? It's not that scary, I promise," Roxas said.   
"I don't trust your judgement. You got excited about this movie so I know it's scary. No," Sora said.   
"Let's take a vote. All in favor of watching The Conjuring raise your hand," Roxas said. Everyone but Sora raised their hand. Even Leon raised his hand from behind his laptop.   
"Leon!" Sora said.   
"Hey I've never seen it. I'm curious," Leon said. Sora huffed.  
"Fine, but if I have nightmares tonight, it's on all of your consciouses," Sora said.   
"I mean at least they'll be better than your normal nightmares," Demyx said it and then slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as he said it. Sora froze for a moment and he wasn't really sure what was worse. The fact that Demyx had referenced his nightmares in general or that he had done it in front of Riku. Vanitas had come back from the bathroom and walked in the living room confused.  
"What did I just miss?" Vanitas asked but nobody answered him.   
"Shit! Sora, I am so sorry, I didn't mean that, I swear!" Demyx said, putting his hands up in a surrender position. Sora opened his mouth to say something but then he closed it again. He knew Demyx hadn't meant it the way it came out but that didn't stop the sting that struck him hard in the pit of his stomach. He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked over at the culprit, Riku.  
"Hey, it's okay. Everyone has nightmares, right? If you makes you feel any better, I had one myself last night," Riku admitted. Sora quirked an eyebrow.  
"Really?" Sora asked.  
"Yeah, I dreamt I walked into the cafeteria and Vanitas was actually happy to see me," Riku said. Sora actually ended up laughing despite himself, even bending over from it, covering his mouth. The others laughed loudly as well, except Vanitas who just glared at Riku with daggers. His phone started buzzing in pocket and he rolled his eyes as he went into the other room to go answer it, everyones laughter still ringing out fom the living room.   
"Hello?" Vanitas asked. He didn't get an answer right away.   
"Hello? Hello! Ventus!" Vanitas called into the phone. He knew it was him calling. Suddenly there was a rustle and finally Ventus answered the phone.  
"Vanitas? Why are you calling me?" Ventus asked. Vanitas made a face. Something sounded off.   
"What the fuck are you talking about? You called me, idiot," Vanitas said.  
"Shh! That's not nice language Van," Ventus hushed him befor bursting into giggles.   
"Ventus, what's going on?" Vanitas asked. This didn't sound like Ventus at all.   
"...Nothing, you called me," Ventus snickered. Vanitas was about to curse at him before it hit him.  
"Ven? Ventus, are you drinking?" Vanitas asked. Ventus laughed on the other side of the line.   
"I'd plead the fifth but I'm not entirely sure what that means," Ventus said.  
"Ventus, what the fuck! Why are you drinking by yourself? You're not supposed to do that!" Vanitas said.  
"I'm not going anywhere! I'm staying home! You know, I like my house sometimes. Like right now, the stairs make a great cushion," Ventus said.  
"What are you doing on the stairs!?" Vanitas asked, actual worry creeping into his voice.   
"I fell but it's okay, I wasn't planning to make it up the stairs anyway. Who needs an upstairs anyway?" Ventus asked.  
"Ventus, don't move. I'm coming to get you," Vanitas said.  
"Wah? No, I'm fine. Leave me alone," Ventus said.  
"Shut up. I'm coming to get you," Vanitas said as he hung up. Vanitas walked back into the living room, where everyone had stopped laughing and had turned down the lights to watch the Conjuring. Vanitas had to ignore for the time being that Riku had magically gotten his arm around Sora's shoulders.  
"Vanitas, what's up?" Leon asked as he noticed Vanitas grabbing his jacket and keys. Sora looked over from the couch in concern.   
"Nothing, I'll be back," Vanitas said as he left out the door.   
"He seemed in a rush," Sora frowned.   
"He said he'll be back, so I'm sure it's fine," Riku said, giving Riku an encouraging squeeze. He didn't really kow when his arm got around Sora's shoulders but he had no intention of removing it. Sora felt really warm and he could smell his shampoo. It was a great position to be in right now. Sora nodded slowly as he turned his attention back to the screen, and doing his best to ignore the heat rising to his cheeks when he realized Riku had yet to remove his arm from around him.

_This chapter got long and a little boring but I had to set up the 'normal' crap for the moment so I had to cut it here! Don't worry, Riku's night is far from over! Next chapter, the night is only just beginning for Sora and Riku as we get to explore their little ever kindling possible romance, and Vanitas has to control a drunk Ventus? What will happen? Any guesses? Comment if you wish! Stay Tuned! Poof!_


	25. Is it Pathetic?

_I completely forgot about my disclaimers, whoops! I don't own these characters or the games, this is just for fun!_  

  
"So, what do you think?" Leon asked as he dug his knuckles in Cloud's shoulders.   
"Mm...I mean, I didn't really see as much as you. Little lower," Cloud hummed in delight. He and Leon had finally managed to sneak upstairs while the boys didn't exactly decide to settle down. With Riku being there the boys decided to stay up a little longer, although Leon was pretty certain that Sora wasn't going to last long. His body craved sleep a lot more than a regular person. Leon was currently on top of a shirtless Cloud, giving him one of his signature massages.   
"Well...I didn't see anything close to alarming. When they were working on the project, Riku remained complete gentlemen. Although...," Leon trailed off.  
"Although what?" Cloud asked, peeking over his shoulder until Leon continued.   
"It's nothing bad Cloud, I just noticed that Riku seemed a little...too attentive at times is all. Did you notice during the movie that he had his arm around Sora the entire time?" Leon asked. Cloud moaned as he nodded when Leon dug into a knot.   
"Yeah. I noticed he was giving him squeezes before every jump scare. Seemed to have helped Sora a little. That was quite nice of him," Cloud said. Leon nodded even though Cloud couldn't see him.   
"Yeah. I also talked to him a bit alone after the movie. He seems like an okay kid. And for your relief Cloud, he doesn't appear to be a bully. He actually told me he got bullied when he was in elementary school, so he would never do that to somebody else," Leon said.   
"Riku being bullied? That would explain the muscles I saw growing. Kid wants to destroy his enemies," Cloud laughed. He tried to ignore Leon's fingers purposely dipping below his waistbelt.  
"Well, in my book, Riku seems okay. You saw how he handled that whole slip up thanks to Demyx. I don't think I've ever seen any of the boys except Vanitas react that fast," Leon said.   
"...I guess Riku is okay," Cloud said. Leon smirked.  
"Are you just saying that because you want to stop talking about it?" Leon asked.  
"No, I'm saying that because I have an erection that needs attending to and you can stop pretending as if you're still giving me a massage," Cloud said, bucking his hips backward towards Leon who laughed.   
"There are children downstairs," Leon said as he allowed Cloud to roll over.   
"I said that the last time and that didn't stop you," Cloud said as Leon leaned over to capture his lips.   
"Consider the playing field even then," Leon said.  
"It's never even with you," Cloud said. Leon laughed again and silenced the rest of the conversation with a passionate kiss. But just before they could get into it, they were called downstairs. Both adults groaned in annoyance. Cloud slid into something bigger so his erection wouldn't be so obvious and then he and Leon made their way downstairs.   
"What's going on?" Leon asked.  
"Can you two please explain that Riku isn't allowed to go home tonight?" Roxas asked. Leon and Cloud looked at each other in confusion.  
"Who said Riku was spending the night?" Cloud asked. That had not been on the agenda.  
"The news," Axel said, "Somebody just got stabbed around Riku's neighborhood and it's almost close to midnight. The person has not been found," Axel said.   
"Guys, I'm sure Riku will be fine if he goes home," Sora said quietly. He honestly didn't like the idea of something possibly happening to Riku if the person found Riku and hurt him, but if Riku had to stay overnight, he would most definitely witness Sora's nightmare and after hypnosis scare. Sora was already ashamed of himself for even having it, and he didn't want Riku to witness that. What would he think of him then?  
"Riku, is that true?" Leon asked, looking at Riku. Riku shrugged.  
"They're making a big deal out of nothing. I'm sure the person wouldn't even stay in the neighborhood once the cops arrived. I'll be fine getting home," Riku said. Cloud shook his head, motherly instinct kicking in.   
"No, I think I'm with the boys on this one. It's close to midnight and he may have hidden inside someone's house. Besides, if the cops are out, they won't exactly give you an easy time with a minor running about at this hour, even if you are going home," Cloud said.   
"Cloud, are you serious?" Leon asked. Cloud nodded.  
"He could get hurt, Leon. I don't need that on my conscious. Riku, you can leave bright and early tomorrow morning but you're staying here tonight," Cloud said, ending the conversation. Sora's heart sank. He was going to have a nightmare tonight now, he was sure of it. The gods were not in his favor tonight.   
"I told you they wouldn't let you leave," Roxas smirked in victory at Riku. Riku turned to Cloud.  
"Um, Cloud, with all due respect, I don't want to intrude," Riku tried. In truth, Riku didn't care about him spending the night or not. The only reason he was against it was that for some reason, Sora didn't seem like he liked the idea at all. The hurt Riku's feelings quite a bit. He thought Sora at least considered him a friend, did he still not like him enough?   
"It's no problem, really. I know I'm not your legal guardian, Riku, but I won't be able to rest tonight knowing you went home with a criminal on the loose in your neighborhood," Cloud said.  
"He also won't be able to rest until Leon takes care of that boner," Axel said.   
"Goodnight!" Cloud said immediately, cheeks flushed as he went back upstairs, Leon following behind him, rolling his eyes at Axel on the way up.  
"Axel, that was so messed up," Roxas said, although he was trying not to laugh himself, unlike Demyx who had laughed without guilt.   
"How long have you known me?" Axel asked. Roxas left to go get an extra blanket for Riku, as Sora bid everyone goodnight and went upstairs, knowing that going to sleep was out of the question.

 _Kitchen,_ 3 AM  
Sora knew he should be going to sleep. He knew it. His body was going to hate him in the later hours if he didn't go to sleep. But he couldn't. He was now sitting in the kitchen with the lights dimmed to practically nothing, and all because he didn't want Riku to witness a nightmare. It was never guaranteed anymore when Sora would actually have a nightmare, but that didn't stop them from coming at all. He had a bad feeling that since it was brought up earlier by Demyx that it would've happened tonight. Sora forgave Demyx for the comment though, Demyx hadn't meant anything by it, and he was quite happy that Riku hadn't asked anything about it, instead making everyone laugh about his own nightmare, which Sora was pretty sure never happened. Riku was just trying to cheer him up.  
Riku. A flush came to Sora's cheeks as he remembered oh so gently squeezes to his shoulder during the movie. The Conjuring was absolutely terrified, and that was partially another reason Sora couldn't go to sleep. He was afraid something was going to pull on his foot when he got just comfy enough to fall asleep. But that fear was nothing compared to the fear of Riku finding out about his nightmares.   
As he sat there in the kitchen, mulling over the sandwich he had made himself with no intention of eating it, he heard a tap on the wall of the entrance of the kitchen. He jumped slightly before looking up.  
"Riku! Oh, I didn't wake you, did I?" Sora asked, immediately feeling guilty.  
"Nah, the urge to pee did" Riku said. He gestured to the chair next to Sora, "You mind?"   
"Um, no. Go ahead," Sora said. Riku smiled slightly as he sat down.   
"You got hungry?" Riku asked, gesturing to the sandwich.  
"Not really. I only made that to keep myself busy. You want it?" Sora asked.  
"I could use a quick snack," Riku laughed as he pulled the plate over to him.   
"So if it wasn't for hunger, what kept you up?" Riku asked. Sora shrugged, feeling ashamed as to why he was actually up.   
"I just couldn't sleep is all," Sora tried. Riku wasn't buying it.  
"Is this because of the movie earlier?" Riku asked. Sora tensed. How the hell did Riku figure that out?  
"...Maybe," Sora said softly, not looking at Riku. Riku was quiet for a moment. So it was the nightmare thing again. Was Sora really that scared of having one?   
"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Riku asked. Sora didn't answer him right away, but after a moment, he nodded slowly.   
"I don't really need to know the exact details, but is there anything you can tell me...about why you're so scared to have a nightmare?" Riku asked. He hoped he wasn't overstepping his boundaries. If this had anything to do with the bullying, Riku could understand that, but he at least wished Sora would tell him about it, even a little. Sora took a huge breath before exhaling.   
"It's just...my nightmares get...messy, I guess," Sora decided. Riku was confused now.  
"Messy? How so? You just thrash around a lot?" Riku asked.  
"More or less. It's not really something I want to talk about though, I'm ashamed of it," Sora said before he could stop himself. He shut his mouth immediately. Where the hell did that come from? Where did the sudden need to say that come from?   
"Ashamed?" Riku asked, "Why would you be ashamed? Sora."  
Riku placed a hand on Sora's shoulder, causing Sora to look at him for the first time since they started talking.  
"Hey, nightmares aren't anything to be ashamed of. Everyone has them, remember? Nightmares are nothing more than just manifestations of our imagination most of the time," Riku said.   
_I wished my nightmares were just my imagination_ , Sora thought sadly.   
"It's fine if you don't want to talk about it, though," Riku said.  
"I really don't," Sora said as he stood up to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. Riku felt a twinge in his heart at the way Sora said it. Did he overstep already?   
"I'm sorry if that sounds mean" Sora said, feeling guilty, "I don't really talk about it with Roxas and them either, so please don't feel like I'm singling you out. I don't mean it." Riku nodded. So at least it wasn't just him, but why did he still feel like he was the only one?   
"You know" Sora said, stretching up as he talked, "Talking to you actually made me sleepy, s"  
"Sora, what is that?" Riku asked alarmingly, cutting off Sora's sentence. Sora opened his eyes mid-stretch.  
"Hm?" Sora asked.  
"That...Is that a scratch? Near your hip," Riku said. Sora, almost immediately knowing what he was talking about, tense as he pulled down his shirt. Riku wasn't even entirely sure what he had seen. It was definitely something scorched there. It looked like a line? Or was it something else? He watched as Sora opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before deciding on an answer.  
"Um...it's nothing. Just a scratch. Goodnight," Sora said as he grabbed his water bottle off the table and left before Riku could say any more. Riku sat there entirely confused. He hadn't got a really good sight of it, but it was definitely enough for Riku to know that that indeed was not just a scratch.  
What the hell was going on?

 

 _Earlier That Night_  
Vanitas couldn't drive fast enough. Why the hell was Ventus drinking by himself? Hell, the rest of their friends thought Ventus didn't even drink because he too goody to do so. Vanitas just prayed that Ventus had listened to him and stayed where he was, even if it was on the stairs. When Vanitas finally pulled into Ventus driveway and opened the door, he was relieved yet still alarmed to find that while Ventus had moved to the couch, he was still heavily drunk. He looked around and saw the culprits. Two bottles of whiskey sat on the table, one half empty. Ventus had drunk all that by himself? How was he not dead?  
"Ventus!" Vanitas said as he closed the door and took off his jacket. Ventus popped up from the couch, and Vanitas could tell from even this angle that his eyes were way passed glossed over.   
"Vanitas! You came here to see me!" Ventus said, attempting to stand up from the couch but only ending up falling back down on it.  
"You fucking idiot, why would you drink this by yourself?" Vanitas said as he picked up the empty bottle and the half empty one.  
"Don't curse at me! Besides, I left some for you. It's really for me though," Ventus chuckled. He reached out to take the half-empty bottle from Vanitas, who held it out of reach. Ventus pouted.   
"Hey, that's mine. Give it back," Ventus said, trying to reach for the bottle unsuccessfully. Vanitas pushed him back down on the couch.   
"Why are you drinking? What happened?" Vanitas asked angrily.   
"I want the bottle," Ventus said.   
"No, what happened?" Vanitas asked. Something bad must've happened for Ventus drink that much. He never goes past tipsy. Ventus huffed, realizing he wasn't getting his whiskey back.   
"You're no fair! And you don't care what happened anyway," Ventus pouted.  
"What?!" Vanitas asked. Ventus swayed as he tried to get up from the couch.  
"You don't care, now give me the bottle!" Ventus spat out before reaching for the bottle.   
"Are you fucking serious?!" Vanitas growled as he threw the bottle across the room. The bottle smashed against the wall, and Ventus actually jumped, not expecting Vanitas to do that.   
"You called me drunk as hell talking about how you fell down the stairs! I drove all the way over here like a bat out of hell to check on you to make sure you haven't given yourself a concussion, and you tell me I don't fucking care?! I'm so tired of you saying that! I do fucking care, alright?! Now what the fuck happened! Tell me right now!" Vanitas yelled at Ventus who had long ago shrunk away from him, leaning towards the couch. His drunk mind was processing everything really slowly, but he didn't like Vanitas shouting, it was hurting his head. He pushed Vanitas out of the way as he went to go pick up the pieces of glass shattered on the floor.   
"It's stupid really" Ventus scoffed as he tried to speak, "It's going to sound really stupid...Same old mommy and daddy issues..." He picked up two huge pieces and put them in the nearest trashcan. "You know...apparently, I fucked up so bad...that they did something out of the usual...they video chatted me." Ventus dropped a piece he had picked up and went to pick it up again.   
Vanitas didn't like where this was going. Ventus was doing a horrible job of stopping his voice from cracking. Was he about to cry?   
"At first, I wasn't sure what happened" Ventus said as he sniffled before throwing another piece in the trash, "And then...get ready for this...they yelled at me" Ventus picked up another piece and threw it in the trash with a little more force than necessary, "Apparently, it was soo dire that I should've gone ten thousand fucking miles across America last weekend to come to see them...there was some stupid convention that they were hosting..." Another forceful throw in the trashcan.  
"Ventus...," Vanitas tried.  
"It was so...vital that I should've been there" Ventus said, picking up the last few pieces, "I was the only child of parents not there...it was such an embarrassment for them...you know, the one time they actually wanted me there...I didn't want to come" Ventus had yet to throw away the pieces in his hands, "The one time...the one time I decide to say no, I'm not coming and suddenly I'm the fucking brat?!" Ventus slammed the pieces into the trash can, the collision making an ugly scratching sound as the pieces smashed into each other.   
"Ventus, calm down," Vanitas said. Ventus was still drunk, and Vanitas didn't want him getting himself worked up but he was afraid it was far too late for that.   
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!" Ventus yelled, rounding on Vanitas, "I am tired of calming down! That's all I'm ever permitted to do! They fucking yelled at me because for once in my fucking life, I decided that I had had enough of their idiotic trips and decided not to go! Now I'm a brat? I'm a brat because I wasn't there to make them look like the perfect fucking family?! There's not an actor in the world that can pull that shit off! Who the fuck yells at somebody through video chat? How dare they get angry at me for not going? They missed more than half my birthdays, I only get a call from them when it actually fits into their schedule, they still think I'm in the drama club, and they never show up when they're supposed to but I'M THE FUCKING BRAT? I'm the ingrate?! What the fuck did I do?!"  
"Ventus-"   
"What the fuck did I do, Vanitas?!" Ventus cracked, the tears threatening to fall from his blurry eyes but he wouldn't allow it.  
"You didn't do anything," Vanitas said. Vanitas was acting oddly calm on the outside compared to the utter shock and worry his insides were battling out.   
"Obviously I fucking did something! You said it yourself, you kind of sound like my parents! I'm the one who changed, right?! I'm the one who's changed into an entirely new person and won't tell anybody why! I'm the brat! I'm the ingrate who doesn't care about anyone's feelings! It's me! It's all fucking me! Because apparently when Ventus doesn't care, it's a fucking problem, but God forbid if anyone ever decides to care about Ventus! So tell me again, what is it that I did that was fucking bad that makes me the damn target! WHAT DID I DO?!..What did I do...what the fuck did I do?" Ventus stopped talking, not finding the strength to anymore. He looked away from Vanitas and Vantias walked over to him. He put his hand on Ventus's shoulder but Ventus shrugged him off angrily.  
"Don't touch me, Vanitas," Ventus said. He tried to move past Vanitas but Vanitas blocked him. He didn't know what the hell was going on with Ventus, but he was going to find out this time. It was a two minute struggle before Vanitas got frustrated and grabbed both Ventus's hands.  
"Ventus, will you stop trying to get away from me!" Vanitas demanded.   
"I don't want to be near you!" Ventus said as he struggled poorly to get out of Vanitas's grip.  
"Why not?" Vanitas asked, not relenting.   
"Because!" Ventus started angrily before he froze completely, and he put his head down in shame, "Because I don't want to cry in front of you."   
Vanitas was so taken aback by the statement that he actually let Ventus go, although it was already too late. He could see Ventus's shoulders shaking from trying to restrain himself, but he saw one of the said tears drop to the floor as Ventus's bottom lip quivered.   
"I did everything. Everything is my fault," Ventus said.  
 _It's partially your fault that-!_  
"Ventus-" Vanitas tried again.   
"Everything is my fault...why...why am I so pathetic?" Ventus said as he crashed to the ground in a weeping mess, not even caring anymore that Vanitas was in his presence anymore.   
"Everything is my fault...that's why the pain...it won't stop...it's because I'm pathetic," Ventus said, not talking to Vanitas anymore. Vanitas stayed glued to the spot, for the first time in his life, not knowing what to do in regards to handling Ventus. This was a side of him he had never seen before. Drunk or not, Vanitas was in a complete loss.   
_How could I have been so blind to this?_ Vanitas thought, actually scared for his friend. Is this what was lying underneath the surface the entire time? Was Ventus truly this...Vanitas didn't even know what Ventus was right now. Ventus wasn't the strongest, anybody could see that, but this was new. This was sad. This was frightening to Vanitas. How had his best friend fallen this far? And why hadn't Vanitas noticed until now?   
Vanitas shook his head. Yelling at him was not going to make this situation any better.  
 _It never made the situation any better_ , Vanitas thought bitterly. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed quietly.   
"Hey...come on, get up," Vanitas said, kneeling down to Ventus's level. Ventus wouldn't look at him, and Vanitas forgot that he probably honestly couldn't get up because he was still drunk. The outburst had not woken him up at all. Sighing again, he walked behind Ventus and lifted him up by the shoulders. The sudden fast movement made Ventus swoon forward, but Vanitas caught him.   
"Upstairs. Let's go," Vanitas said, already pushing him towards the stairs. It was probably the longest ten minutes of his life, but after all the struggling and making sure Ventus didn't slip and knock his head against the banister or stairs, both of them finally managed to make it up the stairs and into Ventus's bedroom, which Vanitas was shocked to find in almost complete order. He would've assumed that the bedroom would've been the first place Ventus would destroy after his argument with his parents.   
Ventus was extremely quiet, but Vanitas could still hear the sniffles and see the tears streaming down his face. He didn't like people who silently cried, it scared him less if they just straight out bawled loudly. A silent cry was a more painful cry in his mind. He should know, he'd done his fair share when he had finally accepted the Sora was gone years ago.   
He pushed Ventus onto his bed gently and made sure he didn't fall out of it before he left for a moment. Ventus has resigned himself to his fate by this point. This isn't what he wanted. He didn't want Vanitas to come over and see this...pathetic human being just barely existing. He didn't notice Vanitas walk back into the room until he heard something make a slight clang on the floor beside his bed. He looked over and it was his trashcan.   
"That's when you decide to puke," Vanitas explained bluntly before setting a bottle of water on his nightstand. Ventus didn't understand. What was all this? He felt something warm and wet come into contact with his face and realized that it was a washrag. Vanitas wiped his face, including the tears even though they continued to fall.  
That. Ventus recognized what all this was. No. He couldn't do that. Vanitas wasn't allowed to do this. Not again.   
"No, stop it" Ventus said rather harshly, pushing the rag away from his face. Vanitas wanted to growl at him but he decided to keep his tone as calm as possible.  
"What's your problem now?" Vanitas asked. Ventus wiped his face.  
"No...you don't get to go do that! Stop being nice to me! Yell at me like you were before! You don't get to be this nice to me!" Ventus whined.   
"And why the fuck not?" Vanitas asked, clearly offended. He was being nice to him again and he was being scorned for it?   
"Because I still love you and it's not fair that I'm the only suffering!" Ventus blurted out before collapsing into the palm of his hands on the bed.   
Vanitas dropped the rag. What?  
Did Ventus just say...love?  
Vanitas was very clearly aware that Ventus had a crush on him, but a crush was far away from...from this. Ventus had never used that term whenever his feelings towards Vanitas came up in conversation.   
Ventus loved him?   
_It's partially your fault that-!_  
Vanitas wasn't really sure what happened, but something inside of him cracked open just a scratch and nothing more. But it was enough. At that moment, it didn't matter what it was Ventus was trying to blame him for anymore. It didn't matter.   
He pulled Ventus's hands away from his face and Ventus looked at him in confusion as Vanitas wiped away his new flow of tears.   
"Vanitas?" Ventus asked, unsure.   
"I'm sorry," was all Vanitas said before he closed the distance between the two in a lip lock. Ventus froze for a moment before he tried to push him away. Vanitas batted his hands away without even breaking the kiss, and pushed them both down to the bed. Ventus turned his head away.  
"No! V-Vanitas, stop it!" Ventus said, turning his head from side to side to try and avoid Vanitas's kisses to no avail.   
"Stop it, you're okay," Vanitas said as he grabbed Ventus's flailing wrists and pinned them down.   
"You-you don't even want to do this, stop," Ventus pulled his head back which only gave Vanitas access to his throat. He looked back down and pale blue eyes met yellow.   
"Shut up, Ventus," Vanitas said in the most non-threatening way he's ever told him to do anything as he kissed him again. This time, Ventus began to kiss him back.

_Alright, lovelies, that's it for this chapter. I'm aware I'm driving everyone crazy with these two, aren't I? I have to bother somebody while Sora and Riku work their way together. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As you can tell by now, Riku's notion of Sora's bullying is probably completely scratched after seeing that scar. What was that scar anyway? Next chapter, you will get the morning after with Ventus and Vanitas but then we are skipping ahead to *drumroll* Riku actually asks Sora out on that date! How will it go? And Sora's rapist finally makes his debut! But as who? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	26. At Last

AT LAST  
 _Again, I don't own any of these characters. They all belong to_ disney _and square_ enix _. I own nothing, This is for fun._

  
Ventus couldn't even think the correct sentence of never drinking again due to his massive headache he woke up to. He couldn't even open his eyes, and his head felt like complete lead. Why the fuck did he drink that much?   
Oh right, because parents decided to be complete dicks. That's right, Ventus thought sourly. He was still pissed at his parents, but maybe next time he should just spend up their damn credit card instead of consuming the amount of alcohol he did last night. But he didn't remember drinking in his room, so how the hell did he make it up here?

  
_"Vanitas, what the fuck did I do?!"_   
_"Let me go!"_   
_"Why am I so pathetic?"_   
_"Vanitas, let me go! I don't want to cry in front of you!"_

  
Ventus's eyes shot wide open as the night came flooding back to him. He remembered Vanitas coming over and seeing him completely wasted. He remembers Vanitas throwing the whiskey bottle and he remembers turning into a complete five-year-old and breaking down on the floor. Ventus felt the shame and embarrassment invading his veins. How could he have done that? How could he have let Vanitas see him like that? He barely remembers calling Vanitas, only remembering he did when Vanitas actually showed up. He hadn't meant to break down, but he was just so mad at his parents, and himself, and Vanitas wasn't leaving fast enough for Ventus to hold back the tears. He hated crying in front of Vanitas, and ever since that day he got rejected he had made it his goal to never cry in front of him again. So much for that. What must Vanitas think?  
As if the gods heard him, suddenly there was a knock on Ventus's door and Vanitas opened it without actually getting permission to enter. Why was Vanitas still here?  
"You awake now?" Vanitas asked, holding a water bottle in his hand. Ventus nodded slowly, his headache still ringing in his ears.   
"Somewhat," Ventus responded.  
"Good. Hurry up and shower," Vanitas said, handing him the water bottle and a Tylenol. Ventus was confused. Vanitas seemed rather calm considering the mess he witnessed last night. Ventus still didn't really remember how he got upstairs. His only assumption was that he passed out after crying so much and Vanitas probably carried him upstairs.   
"How come you're still here?' Ventus asked.   
"Because" Vanitas replied as he went back to the door, "I felt like it. Besides, I wanted to make sure you didn't die from alcohol poisoning in the morning. Now hurry up and shower. We're leaving soon."  
"To go where? It's the weekend," Ventus asked, confused.   
"Don't worry about it. Now go shower," Vanitas said for the last time before disappearing downstairs. Ventus sat in bed for another moment after downing the pill. Vanitas seemed completely unaffected by last night and that made Ventus highly concerned yet curious. Why was he still here? Did he just forget that Ventus made a complete fool of himself last night? Or was it something else?  
He quickly showered, the hot water feeling good on his skin, and dressed before going downstairs to find out that Vanitas was in the living room, watching some murder case on television with a plate of pancakes sitting in his lap.   
"Your plate is in the microwave. I'm not babying you that much," was all Vanitas told him, not even taking his eyes off the television. Ventus nodded to himself and went into the kitchen. He was completely lost. Why the hell did Vanitas cook breakfast? He's done that before, but that was before everything changed between them thanks to Ventus catching feelings for his best friend and ruining everything. Maybe this was Vanitas's way of being even after his whole drunk fiasco a while back where he attacked Ventus in a horny haze.   
Ventus came back into the living room and sat down next to Vanitas but two cushions over and tried to see if he could catch up on the murder case Vanitas was watching. They ate in total silence, Ventus left with his worrying thoughts about why Vanitas was acting like this was any old day he spent the night. When they finished, Vanitas turned off the TV, grabbed Ventus's plate from him, and dumped them in the dishwasher before coming back and grabbing his coat off the coat rack. Ventus looked at him confused.   
"Let's go, Mr. Hangover," Vanitas said as he put on his jacket.  
"I don't understand, where are we going?" Ventus asked.  
"Don't worry about it. Just put your jacket on," Vanitas said. Ventus didn't hesitate this time, and he put on his jacket and grabbed his keys as he followed Vanitas out the door. They got into his car and there was an awkward silence in the car, or at least it was awkward to Ventus. The air around them had been getting thicker and thicker since that day Vanitas turned him down, and after their last fight, the air was increasingly difficult to breathe and the fog between them too thick. Vanitas didn't start the car yet.  
"Um, Vanitas-"  
"What do you remember from last night?" Vanitas asked, cutting Ventus off.  
"Huh?" Ventus asked.  
"Last night. How much do you remember?" Vanitas asked. Ventus was quiet for a moment.   
"I remember you coming over to find me a complete mess and I remember crying like a five-year-old on the floor," Ventus said sadly, not liking having to relive those moments.  
"So you only remember the downstairs part? That's fine," Vanitas said. Ventus looked at Vanitas. The downstairs part?  
"Downstairs part? There was an upstairs part?" Ventus asked. "And why are you so damn calm? Any other time, something like this happens and you get all mad at me or you at the very least mock me for it. You cooked breakfast this morning!"  
"You confessed to me last night," Vanitas said. Ventus paused for only a moment. That's what all this was about?   
"What?" Ventus asked.  
"You confessed to me last night. Have to say, I was a little...sideswiped by it to be honest," Vanitas said, choosing his words wisely.   
"Why would you be sideswiped? I confessed to you before and that didn't go so well," Ventus shrugged it off as he looked out his window, trying to figure out why Vanitas wasn't driving off yet to wherever it was that they were going.   
"You said it differently this time," Vanitas said, "You said you loved me."  
Vanitas thought at this point, Ventus was going to do either of two things. He was either going to get out the car and go back inside his house and not want to talk to Vanitas, or he was going to freak out in his mind trying to figure out why the hell he said that when he was supposedly over him.   
What he didn't expect was for Ventus to just shake his head, almost as if he was amused with himself.   
"No wonder you're acting funny this morning," Ventus said.   
"Did you hear what I just said?" Vanitas asked. Why was Ventus acting so calm?  
"I'm not going to deny it" Ventus said, not looking at Vanitas, "I wish I could remember that I said it, but it is true. Look, I tried, okay? I tried to get over you. I really did. After the countless rejections I got from you, I pulled myself together and tried to get past it. The more I tried, the worst it got, and I finally figured out why it wasn't happening the way I wanted it to. Then I just kind of...accepted it. It was stressing me out more to push it away than to just deal with it, so that's just that."   
Vanitas was dumbfounded for lack of a better word. It wasn't because Ventus was calm about it by this point, he expected as much after so long, but the fact that Ventus didn't even seem the slightest bit freaked out about telling him he loved him was what impressed Vanitas. Wait, that also meant that Ventus still...  
"I kissed you," Vanitas said before he could stop himself.  
"What?" Ventus asked, not expecting that, his calm demeanor gone, "Before or after?"  
"After" Vanitas replied, "Don't ask me why, I just did it. Something told me to do it so I did. Live with it."   
"It probably shut me up anyway," Ventus said, a slightly sad tone to his voice.  
"Hey," Vanitas said, placing a hand on Ventus's shoulder, forcing Ventus to actually look at him since they got in the car.  
"One, you're no longer allowed to drink whiskey. Second, next time you get into a fight with your parents, just call me, okay? Before you hit the alcohol?" Vanitas asked. Ventus pushed the gut feeling back down his throat to question Vanitas. He sounded extremely serious and even though Ventus didn't expect it, he was a little relieved. Vanitas had reopened the option to talk to him, and Ventus smiled.  
"I can live with that," Ventus said.   
"Good" Vanitas said, removing his hand, "Because next time I'm not satisfying your temper tantrums with my mouth."  
Ventus completely lost it at that comment, laughter bubbling out of his mouth.  
"What the hell are you laughing for?" Vanitas asked.   
"Did you hear what you just said?" Ventus asked between laughing. Vanitas was lost for only a moment, before he too started laughing, realizing how perverted that sounded.   
As the both of them managed to cure themselves of the giggles and Vanitas pulled out of the driveway, Ventus sighed happily and smiled as looked out the window.  
The air around them was still heavily thick, but, at last, it was easier to breathe.

 

TWO WEEKS LATER  
Riku was seriously getting annoyed. He could not find the perfect time to ask Sora out on a proper date. After completely being accepted into Sora's group of friends, and even having Sora get a little acquainted with the other people Riku hung out with when he wasn't with them, Riku thought now he could ask Sora out without it being so weird. They were friends now, and sometimes when Riku wasn't there, they would text each other until one of them fell asleep. They had a nice friendship going, so why couldn't Riku ever get enough alone time with Sora to ask him out?   
He had been trying for the past week to do it. He couldn't do it in the morning, there were too many people around and now that Riku had introduced Sora his friends, his friends had made a horrible habit of occupying Sora's time in the morning when his group of friends weren't there (mainly Yuffie, who thought Sora was just adorable). Then once he tried to do it at lunch when he and Sora had made it to the cafeteria before the others did. That backfired because Sora was too excited talking about this movie he had seen last night, and Riku couldn't find it in him to change the subject. He loved it when Sora smiled, hell he liked it when Sora did anything, so he didn't want to make him nervous by asking him out a second time. Then he had tried to get him alone when they were at Cloud and Leon's house, or anyone's house for that matter and Vanitas seemed to have some psychic ability where he knew what Riku was trying to do and always managed to find them. During chemistry class, he finally broke down and explained to Axel about his so many blown opportunities.  
"Man, I give you props for keeping it up that long," Axel laughed as Riku told him of his most recent failure, this morning.   
"How long did it take for you to ask Roxas out?" Riku asked.  
"I didn't. I grabbed him, kissed him, told him he was sexy and that we should go get some tacos. It was a done deal from there," Axel smirked. It didn't go down exactly like that, but that was how he liked to sum it up.   
"Besides, I also didn't have to deal with an overprotective cousin and Sora's two uncles," Axel commented. Riku nodded. Vanitas was definitely a pain in the ass and Cloud and Leon were-wait!  
"That's it!" Riku said rather happily.  
"What's it?" Axel asked.  
"Cloud and Leon! I should just ask them first," Riku said. Why hadn't he thought about this before?   
"You going to ask out Cloud and Leon?" Axel asked, confused.  
"What? No! I'm going to ask them if I can take Sora on a date! That way, he won't have to worry about his uncles. If I get their blessing first, he might feel comfortable enough to say yes," Riku said.   
"What about Vanitas?" Axel asked.  
"He already hates me, there's nothing I can do about that," Riku laughed. Why hadn't he thought of this before? Cloud and Leon practically ran Sora's world, and they would be the ultimate boundary between him and Sora. If he got their blessing, then surely Sora would accept?   
"Sounds like a plan. Although I wish you the best. You might get past Leon but momma Cloud might bite you," Axel laughed. Riku nodded, already plotting out how he was going to explain his plea to them. They seemed to like him as far as Riku knew, otherwise, why would they let him keep coming over?

 

Riku couldn't get to his car fast enough after waving the others goodbye before seeing them later at Ventus's house. Ventus was repainting three rooms in his house and everyone had agreed to help move the furniture and of course help paint. But Riku had to stop at his own house first, completely forgetting to pack a bag of paint clothes before leaving for school this morning. As he drove down his neighborhood towards his house, he slowed as he noticed another car in his driveway. That was weird. It wasn't his parents' car, that much was obvious. Riku parked against the sidewalk and got out, eyeing the car. He didn't recognize the car by any means, and he looked over at his house, concerned about who the hell had possibly came inside.   
He walked up to the door and got even more concerned when he only had to open one lock, knowing he locks both locks every time he leaves the house. Maybe the maid came in earlier and just forgot to lock up? But that didn't explain the car.  
"Hello?" Riku called as he walked inside, completely ignoring that that was such a stupid horror movie mistake he just made.  
"Ah! Riku! Is that you? I'm in the kitchen!" a deep voice called from the kitchen. Riku was puzzled. Who the hell was in his house and why did he know his name?  
As he got closer to the kitchen, he could smell the stew that was cooking on his stove. When he rounded the corner at last, he looked over to the stove and found a tall tanned man over at the stove, stirring the pot. The man had long silver hair, a few shades darker than Riku's.   
"Uncle Xemnas?" Riku asked. Said person turned away from the stove, and sea green eyes met yellow eyes and Riku was almost reminded of Vanitas's eye color.  
"Riku! There you are! I was starting to think I was in the wrong house," the man said as he turned the knob on low for the stove. He walked over and gave Riku a hug which Riku didn't return.  
"Are you not happy to see me?" Xemnas said.   
"It's not that...how did you get into my house?" Riku asked, still a little blown away that his uncle was in his house without his knowledge.   
"Your parents sent me a key when I told them I was going to be in the city," Xemnas said.  
"Oh...well, I mean, it's good to see you though," Riku said, getting over his shock.  
"Did they not tell you I was coming to visit?" Xemnas asked.   
"No?" Riku said, although now he was remembering all those missed phone calls he received were probably his parents calling for that exact reason.   
"No matter. I'm here," Xemnas said.  
"How long are you staying?" Riku asked. He missed his uncle a bit to be honest. His uncle Xemnas was the only person who always gave him whatever he wanted when he was a kid. One time, he got him a football signed by the entire football team he admired as a kid, and he still has it in his bedroom.   
"Oh just until tomorrow. I was checking to see if I remembered where you lived before coming back. Also just to check on you for your parents," Xemnas said.  
"You're coming back?" Riku asked.  
"Yes, but not for a while. But I'll be here probably a bit after the holidays are underway. Looking for some new clients," Xemnas said as he went back to the stove.   
"New clients?" Riku asked, "Wait, you still own those strip clubs?"   
"Sure do" Xemnas laughed, "I'm planning to open a new one soon in Brooklyn, but I have to get some clients. And they're not stripper clubs, Riku, they're erotic dance establishments."  
"Strip clubs," Riku smirked. He knew of his uncle's real job since he was thirteen. When he was younger, his uncle told him that he owned many dance studios. At one point in time, Riku actually looked up said dance studios and found out they were just extremely high-class strip clubs.   
"Whatever suits your fancy," Xemnas laughed.  
"Hey listen, I'm actually going over a friends house for tonight so um...I guess make yourself at home," Riku said.  
"I already have," Xemnas said, indicating that he's cooking. Riku rolled his eyes in humor and went upstairs to grab some clothes. He bid his uncle goodbye when he came back downstairs and locked only one lock before getting into his car and driving off. He had a pitstop to make before going over to Ventus's. Smiling to himself, he whistled a tune to himself as he drove and finally made it to Cloud and Leon's house. He parked a little down the block so he wouldn't take anyone's parking spot, and walked up the street to their house. He knocked on the door, confident someone was in the house since their was a car in the driveway. When no answer came, he knocked again and rang the doorbell. Still no answer after a moment. Was someone home?  
He heard a car drive up the street and he turned around to see it parking in the spot in front of the house, Leon driving. He looked confused when he made eye contact with Riku, and turned and said something to who Riku assumed was Cloud before getting out the car.   
"Riku, what are you doing here? Is everything alright?" Leon asked as he shut the car door, Cloud getting out the other side.  
"Yeah, everything's fine. How are you?" Riku asked.   
"We're good, thanks for asking" Cloud asked, "Did you want to come inside?"  
"If that's okay," Riku said. Cloud nodded and opened the door so they could go inside.   
"Sorry nobody was home, we had to go run some errands," Cloud said as he took off his coat, Leon following suit.   
"It's okay. I saw one of your cars in the driveway so I just kind of assumed someone was home," Riku said.  
"Did you need something from us?" Leon asked, taking off his boots.   
"Uh, I actually just wanted to talk to you guys about something," Riku said. Cloud gestured towards the kitchen, and the three went and sat at the table, Riku opposite the married couple.   
"What did you want to talk about?" Cloud asked. Riku took a breath.   
"Well, it's about Sora," Riku said.  
"What's wrong with Sora? Did something happen at school?" Cloud asked, immediately worried.  
"No, no, nothing like that" Riku said, "It's just that...I was wondering...since you two were his guardians and everything...I was wondering if it was okay to take Sora out on a date."  
Leon and Cloud were quiet for a moment as they registered what Riku had just said.  
"Like an actual date?" Leon asked. Riku nodded.   
"Yeah. Nothing too crazy, just something simple; this dumpling place opened up a while ago that I've been trying to go to and I know Sora likes asian foods, so I was hoping I could take him there to try it out. Then maybe a movie afterwards, I know the sequel to Wreck It Ralph just came out," Riku said, carefully watching Cloud and Leon's facial reactions, mainly "momma" Cloud, as Axel had called him. Leon leaned forward on his elbows in thought while Cloud just sat there, looking towards Leon for an answer.   
"If it's not okay, I totally understand. I just wanted to know if the option was possible," Riku said, giving them the option to just tell him no. He would be crushed if he couldn't, but he had a feeling the two would murder him if he tried afterwards.   
"What did Sora say when you asked him?" Leon asked.  
"Oh? I didn't ask him yet" Riku said, "I wanted to ask if it was okay before I did anything." Cloud raised his eyebrows at that and Riku gave himself a mental pat on the shoulder. Didn't see that coming, did you momma Cloud?   
"Oh. That was thoughtful of you" Cloud said, "However, the issue isn't whether it's okay or not for you to take Sora on a date...it's just that I don't think Sora would...react as well to it, for lack of a better way to put it."  
"Huh?" Riku asked. Sora only blushed and looked a little frightened (that was still confusing to him) when he asked him the first time, why would that change?  
"Riku, how many relationships have you been in?" Leon suddenly asked, throwing Riku completely off guard. Where did that come from?   
"Uh, two. First when I was twelve and then when I was fourteen," Riku said.   
"You haven't dated since then?" Leon asked. Riku shook his head. He went on a date here or there but it never turned into anything further.   
"What happened with the first two relationships? If you don't mind me asking," Leon said. Yes, this was extremely weird.   
"Well, with the first one, she moved away and we just lost touch with each other," Riku said.  
"She?" Cloud asked.  
"Yeah. I was still questioning my identity at the time and I went out with her to see if I was really straight. Then two years later I met this guy named Danny and I found out that I preferred guys over girls," Riku shrugged.  
"So you're bi?" Cloud asked. Riku nodded.  
"I mean, I think I'm leaning more on the gay side completely, but I choose bi just to so I'm not lying," Riku said.   
"Is there anyone else that you're interested in besides Sora?" Leon asked. Riku mentally slapped himself. He probably shouldn't have told them he was bi.   
"Since I moved here? Not really. Sora is my first crush since I got to that school," Riku admitted, feeling like this wasn't going to end well.   
"Is that why you've been hanging out with him?" Cloud asked.  
"What? No, no. I mean, I did think he was cute when I first saw him, after apologizing about his nose, but I didn't really think I liked him until I got to know him a little better. I originally just wanted to be his friend. Plus, I felt bad about almost breaking his nose with a door so I just kind of wanted to make sure he didn't hate me," Riku explained. Why did he have to explain this? He felt like he was in court right now, and Cloud and Leon were persecuting him at the same damn time and it was getting very intimidating real fast.   
"Tell me, Riku, what's the worst thing you've ever done when you were angry?" Leon asked. Riku was so confused right now. All this just to ask Sora out? What the hell was this all about?  
"When I was angry? I mean I guess I punched a dude in middle school, but that was because he hit me first, so I'm not sure if that counts," Riku said. Leon nodded, though Riku wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not.   
"I'm sorry, I feel like I'm missing something here," Riku said, careful not to sound annoyed.   
"It's not that we think you're a horrible person, Riku" Cloud said, "I mean, we wouldn't let you in our house if we did. We're just used to taking precautions when it comes to Sora. As I'm sure you've noticed, everyone here is rather...protective about him." Riku nodded. He's definitely noticed that. It was hard to miss, especially with Vanitas.   
"Yes, so you can only imagine how we would feel about someone who takes a rather romantic interest in him. I have a feeling that you plan to take him on more than one date. I've been watching you two for a while since you arrived here and I did have the slightest feeling that you felt some romantic feelings towards Sora. Am I right?" Leon asked. Riku nodded, he was afraid to do anything else. They were watching him? That's highly creepy.   
"We just want you to understand that the person you're pursuing has had a rather rough time in regards to...other people, I guess. He took a while to come around being comfortable with the amount of friends you see him hanging around now, and Sora's rather sensitive to a lot of things most people wouldn't even think twice about," Leon explained.  
"Like the nightmares?" Riku asked, remembering that night he was forced to sleep over and Sora said he couldn't sleep because he didn't want to have a nightmare. Leon nodded.   
"Exactly like that. It's not that we don't trust you, we just don't want you to try and...push Sora into something he's not even sure he's ready for is all. Especially if that's the only reason you're hanging around him, because if it is, I'd like to suggest that you just don't hang out with at all," Cloud said matter of factly. Riku didn't know Cloud could get that scary, and he thought his handshake was something to worry about. What the hell had happened to Sora to make them act like this?   
"Oh, no, I told you, I just wanted to be his friend I swear," Riku said.  
"And now you want to be more than friends," Leon said, it wasn't a question. This was going in the wrong direction and Riku needed to fix it. Fast.  
"Well, yes, but please know that I'm completely okay with not just not asking Sora out at all. I wouldn't push anyone into a relationship with me, or push them to any relationship for that matter. Even with your blessing, if I get it, if Sora says no, then that's fine, no spiteful feelings. I'm very aware that he's a little...jumpy I guess? And I don't exactly know why but it's totally fine. I like him the way he's is. He's adorable, he's sweet, and he's always putting everyone else before himself. He's got a kind soul and I guess I'm attracted to that and I'm going to stop talking now because I feel like I'm digging myself into a hole," Riku said rather quickly, shutting up. Their faces seemed a bit lighter in thought but Riku didn't want to assume anything. They looked at each other for a moment before finally turning back to Riku.  
"So if Sora says no, then everything will be fine?" Cloud asked. Riku nodded for the umpteenth time that night.  
"I'll act like it never happened," Riku said, holding up his hands in surrender.   
"Well" Leon said, seeming to be more relaxed than Riku has seen him since he came in, "I see no reason why you shouldn't ask. You have our permission."  
"Really?" Riku asked. He got it? He really got it?  
"Yeah. Assuming you hold up what you've said tonight. Go on," Cloud said. Riku smiled for the first time since coming in here. He had the feeling he just won the damn lottery and he was estatic, even though he really shouldn't be this excited about just asking Sora on a date. Sora could still say no.   
"Thank you so much! I swear, I'll keep my word. Goodnight," Riku said happily as he made his way out the door and down the street to his car. As he drove off, the happiness feeling melted away slowly as Riku realized the next problem. Sora. There was a possibility that after all this time, Sora would actually say no to the date. Riku really hoped he wouldn't, he worked too damn hard to get Cloud and Leon's permission for this. Which he found to be extremely over the top. What was with that interrogation? He's heard of overprotective parents but Sora's uncles took it to a whole new level. And then some of those questions. How many people he dated? Why he broke up with them? The whole angry thing? And then they had to remind him how sensitive Sora was, as if Riku wasn't already aware of that. Thank god he didn't tell them about the time he grabbed Sora during their earlier times and Sora avoiding him afterward. Out of nowhere, the scar that Riku half saw in a dim light came flashing into his mind and Riku screeched the car to a stop at a red light. Suddenly it was all clear.   
The overprotectiveness. The questions. Sora's behavior. The scar.  
It all made sense now.  
Sora wasn't bullied, he was a victim of domestic abuse from a past lover.

 _Alright, that's it! I know I said Riku would ask him out in this chapter, but I got more fun out of Riku's interrogation and it got away from me. He will do it in the next chapter, I promise! Also, sorry to break it to you but no Vanitas and Ventus are not officially dating now because now it's Vanitas's turn to deal with Ventus being in love with him!_ Oh _la la! Next chapter, Riku and Sora's date, because let' be honest here, we all know he's going to say yes, right? But how will the date go? Also, in between the date, we find out where Vanitas took Ventus, and what happened between the two while they were there. Stay Tuned! Poof!_


	27. How About a Redo?

HOW ABOUT A RE-DO?  
 _I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy! This fic is just for fun_

  
"I can't believe you two actually agreed to let this happen! I hate that guy!" Vanitas complained as Cloud and Leon paid him no mind, Leon working on his laptop and Cloud going through some lesson plans.  
"Vanitas, everything will be fine, I'm sure. Besides, you only hate the guy because of the nose incident," Ventus chimed in.  
"I don't care, I don't like him either way! Besides, you and I both know for a fact that Riku likes Sora way more than a friend. Axel knows it too, and so you two!" Vanitas said, glaring at the married couple.  
"Vanitas, trust me, we gave him the rundown before he even got an answer. I think we may have scared him a bit," Cloud replied.  
"And you forget, Sora did agree. You can't completely blame Riku," Leon added. Vanitas huffed. That was true, which made it worse. Why the hell would Sora agree to this? Maybe he didn't think of it as an actual date is all. Sora was a little naive, he didn't see the evil things Riku was planning to do, at least in Vanitas's mind. Said naive person came down the stairs just now, and Vanitas rounded on him.  
"You look nice," Cloud said, looking up at Sora and smiling.   
"I always dress like this. It's cold outside," Sora said, confused as to what Cloud was talking about.   
"Sora, my dear cousin, you can still back out of this," Vanitas said. Sora laughed.  
"Vanitas, I'll be fine. You know, if you put as much effort into getting to know Riku as you do hating him, you might actually like him," Sora smiled.  
"Over my dead body," Vanitas replied flatly.  
"Be nice," Sora said as the doorbell rang. Vanitas turned from him and walked into the kitchen, not even wanting to see Riku. Cloud got up to answer the door.  
"Hello, Riku, you're early," Cloud said.  
"Hi Cloud. I would've came a bit later but my neighbor is throwing a house party and I was afraid she was going to knock on my door and ask me to play the piano again for her. Last time I did it, I ended up playing for three hours," Riku explained. Cloud chuckled, turning to see if Sora was ready as Sora was just now putting on his jacket.   
"Well, have fun. Bring him back by curfew please," Cloud said. To everyone else, it sounded like just a concerned parent, but Riku felt like that was an actual threat.   
"I will. And thanks again for agreeing to this," Riku said.   
"Bye Vanitas!" Sora yelled into the kitchen as he walked towards the door.   
"Vanitas is here?" Riku asked, although he shouldn't be surprised. Of course Vanitas would be there to try and stop everything.   
"He's silently fuming in the kitchen. It's fine. Hi," Sora said with a smile. Cloud rustled his hair.  
"Call me if you need us. Be safe," Cloud said. Sora nodded.  
"I will" Sora said before turning to Riku, "Come on, let's go, I'm starving."  
Riku nodded again before bidding them farewell as he followed Sora to his car. Cloud closed the door as Vanitas walked back into the living room.   
"Vanitas, if it makes you feel any better, if he's even a minute late on Sora's curfew, I give you full permission to punch him," Cloud promised.   
"I'll be counting the minutes," Vanitas said, suddenly smirking.   
"Violence should not make you smile. You need therapy," Ventus said.

  
\---

  
"So what is it about this dumpling place that's got you talking about it nonstop?" Sora asked as they got into the car.   
"Well, aside from its amazing dumplings, the resturant is not just for dumplings. It's a hot pot place," Riku explained, starting the car.  
"What's hot pot?" Sora asked.  
"Exactly what it sounds like. You get to pick as many things as you want on a menu and they throw it all in a pot that heats in front of you. All raw food that cooks in that pot in under a minute," Riku replied.  
"You can put anything in there?" Sora asked. This sounded like heaven. Riku nodded.   
"Shrimp, beef, chicken, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, crab, corn, lettuce, whatever you want," Riku listed off. Sora beamed.  
"That sounds amazing!" Sora said happily. Riku turns on the radio as he continues to drive. It's another 25 more minutes before they actually get to the restuarant, which Riku happily spent telling Sora about the neighbor he was telling Cloud about.   
"That's one crazy old lady," Sora said as Riku parked in the parking lot.  
"She's nearing ninety and thinks she's forty. I swear she's willing to get into more trouble than Axel and Vanitas are combined," Riku said. Sora giggled and Riku loved it. He always loved making Sora giggle. Not laugh entirely, just giggle. It was extremely adorable.   
"I'd like to meet her one day," Sora said.   
"Alright but if she tries to make you give her a bath, run away," Riku said. They walked over to the front of the restaurant and walked inside.  
"Whoa" Sora said as they entered, "This place is huge!"  
"It's popular," Riku said. A lady suddenly approached them from the side.  
"Ni hao! Ni hao ma?" the lady said. Before Riku could tell her they didn't speak Chinese, Sora spoke up.  
"Wo hen hao! Xie xie!," Sora said. The lady smiled, asked how many, and then led them to their table, Riku staring at Sora in astonishment.   
"Ni yao he shenme?" the lady asked, mostly looking at Sora.   
"Wo yao he yi bei shui. Riku, what do you want to drink?" Sora asked Riku, who plainly said a coke before Sora translated it and the lady nodded and walked away. Sora turned back to Riku.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"You know how to speak Chinese?" Riku asked, completely amazed. Sora nodded sheepishly, not knowing that knowing another language was something to be amazed about.  
"I self taught myself. It seemed hard so I wanted to prove that I could do it," Sora explained. Riku shook his head in astonishment.  
"I need to find that library you read all those books in. Obviously it's magic," Riku said. Sora smiled.   
"It's just practice" Sora said, "Hey, sorry about Cloud and Leon by the way. I mean I had a feeling they were going to be a little weird about you asking me out, but I didn't think they would interrogate you." Riku waved it off.  
"Don't worry about it" Riku said, "I was fine. I mean, they're pretty scary when they want to be but it was worth it. I finally got you alone, so it's cool."  
Sora knew that somewhere in his mind that statement would normally scare him, but he actually found himself blushing at the statement. He had forgotten how Riku used to do that; mentioning things that involved only the two of them. He was saved from his embarrassment by the waitress returning, and Sora laughing at Riku as he spoke with the waitress in Chinese again before they set down to actually figure out what they wanted in their food.

 _TWO WEEKS EARLIER, THE MORNING AFTER_  
 _Ventus woke up as he felt Vanitas slowing down at what didn't seem to be a stop light. He wasn't even sure when he actually fell asleep. One minute he was singing_ showtunes _much to Vanitas's dismay and the next he was dreaming he was making out with Vanitas again. He guessed he was still tired from his hangover, but now that he had a second nap, he seemed fine now._  
 _"Sorry I_ feel _asleep," Ventus said._  
 _"I assumed you were going to. No problem," Vanitas said. Ventus looked out in front of them. Ahead of the parking lot, there was a huge strangely shaped building that looked alive. It was blaring all sorts of covers and when Ventus finally found the title of the place, he was confused._  
 _"The Carnival?" Ventus asked, "You took me to a carnival?"_  
 _"It's an indoor carnival_ that's supposedly resembles _a carnival as if it were_ outisde _. Plus, I felt like eating park food without watching Roxas and Axel make out as they do every time we go somewhere," Vanitas said as if going to an indoor carnival was the most normal thing in the world. Ventus was still trying to figure out how Vanitas even knew about something like this, but he supposed it was better than dealing with everyone else at the moment. He had a feeling Vanitas was lying about their reason for being there though. Vanitas never truly ever wanted to eat park food, he complains about it every time they go to an amusement park with the exception of Disney World. Ventus jumped slightly as he felt his car door open._  
 _"You coming or what?" Vanitas asked, standing at his door. Ventus nodded and grabbed his phone before getting_ out _the car. He didn't care about Vanitas's reasoning for coming here, he was just going to enjoy it._

THE DATE  
"Sora, not that I'm telling you to watch your diet, but how many of those sweet milks are you planning to consume?" Riku asked, humor in his voice. Sora had just finished his third one after figuring out what it was when the waitress reccomended he try it.   
"Look, if I die from this, that is perfectly okay. I'm contempt with dying by delicious milk," Sora smiled.  
"Well you're not allowed to die on my watch because that means I die by homicide," Riku said. Sora laughed in response. As Riku went to refill his bowl with the spicy soup sitting in between them, Sora bit his lip before deciding to ask a question he's been thinking about since Cloud said anything.   
"Riku, Cloud told me you had two past relationships," Sora said. Riku was a little taken aback by that but he didn't show it. Why the hell did Cloud tell him that?  
"Yea, I did," Riku responded.  
"What were they like?" Sora asked, curious. He wanted to know what a consensual relationship was like. He didn't even know if he could count what he did with that man as a relationship at all.   
"Well, the first one wasn't really all that special. She moved away anyway. But the second one lasted a bit longer" Riku said, "To be honest, I'm not even sure if I actually liked him or not. We only dated because at the time, we were the only two openly gay guys in the school. Everyone just kind of expected us to go out so we did. It was a little awkward honestly."  
"Why did you break up? If you don't mind me asking that is?" Sora asked. Riku shook his head.  
"It's fine. We weren't together long. We dated for like two months and then when summer let out, he cheated on me with some dude he met at summer camp. So I broke it off. But it wasn't that bad, I mean it's not like we were interested in each other to begin with. Only upside was that he was my first kiss," Riku said.   
"Not the girl?" Sora asked.  
"Nope. She thought boys still had cooties, and was only okay kissing on the cheek," Riku laughed, "So what about you?"  
"Huh?" Sora asked.   
"What was your first kiss like?" Riku asked. He knew he was treading on heavy waters but something as simple as a kiss...surely Sora would be okay telling him that? He wanted to know more about the brunette, especially after discovering the reason behind his guarded behavior. Sora bit his lip before responding.   
"I didn't really enjoy my first kiss" Sora said, trying his hardest to keep the answer simple without giving away anything, "It was sloppy and all teeth. I didn't really want to do it in the first place."   
Riku nodded in silence. So the fucker had been his first kiss. Riku was really trying to figure out what kind of asshole would Sora mistakenly date? But Riku could also see the opportunity. Sora was adorable and small, he wasn't a fighter. Any person would take advantage of that personality. He knew he would never do that. Not to Sora.   
"Riku, are you a virgin?" Sora asked, causing Riku to actually choke on his soda. Sora in truth was just moving the conversation back to Riku. He didn't want to think about his first kiss. His first kiss led to the first time he was raped in the same day and he didn't want to think about that on their date. He was having too much fun for those back thoughts to make their way to the front.   
"Wow" Riku said as he composed himself at last, "That's a question."  
"Sorry, was that too personal?" Sora asked. He really should've known better than to ask that. Stupid slut.   
"It's not, I just didn't expect you to ask that so suddenly. You weren't even blushing when you did it" Riku smirked, "But to answer your question, no, I'm not. It happened during a one night stand. I was out partying with some friends at a gay karaoke bar, and this guy was staring me down as he sang some broadway showtune from Kinky Boots. We started talking afterwards and before I knew it we were making out in the booth. We went back to my place and then it just happened. I didn't really think about it afterwards, and we were both only really looking for a good time so we didn't stay in touch after that. It was weird, but it happened."   
Sora nodded. He wished his situation was a one night stand. Instead his one night stand was a never ending nightmare full of pain and tears.  
Riku hesitated on his next question. He wanted to ask Sora the same question, but he didn't know if he wanted to know the answer. He swallowed another bite of the hot pot before deciding to ask.  
"So..um, are you a virgin?" Riku asked. He watched as Sora swallowed hard and his eyes go down to the table. Riku figured two things. He was either too embarrassed to say he was a virgin or he didn't want to talk about it because it was probably as bad as his first kiss.   
Sora should've never asked him that question. Now he had to answer it. But should he tell the truth? He was definitely no virgin by any means, he was a freaking slut through and through. If he lies and says he is a virgin, then Riku can't ask anymore questions on it and the conversation will be done, but if he tells the truth, he will have to lie about how it happened so Riku wouldn't get suspicious. Either way, he's lying. But he couldn't let Riku know how much of a slut he was, he would never talk to him again.   
"Yes, I am," Sora said, the heat rushing to his cheeks. Riku assumed embarrassment, Sora knew it was because he was lying. Riku was relieved to hear that. That meant that fucker didn't touch him, or anyone else for that matter. Riku felt a primal urge surge through him at the thought that somebody else could've possibly touched Sora as Sora was trying to answer, so he was rather happy and calm that Sora was still a virgin. He still had something good to look forward to.  
And if Riku got his way, he would be the one to give it to him.

 _TWO WEEKS AGO, THE CARNIVAL_  
 _Vanitas was doubled over laughing as he and Ventus made their way off Spaceship Whirl._  
 _"Ventus! I'm almost positive you were the only concerned person in there. Even the technician didn't care!" Vanitas said between laughs._  
 _"He should be fired! Why was no one bothered by the kids climbing up the damn platforms? They could've died!" Ventus said._  
 _"Ventus, they were fine! That ride has been like that for years in every carnival that's ever existed. If it wasn't safe, they would have us actually strapped to the platforms," Vanitas said, slowly getting over his giggles._  
 _"It's all fun and games until a kid breaks a leg," Ventus said._  
 _"Ew, you sound like my mom, please stop," Vanitas said. Ventus huffed and looked away._  
 _"Fine, but if we get back on and I'm witness to a child's death, don't say I didn't warn you all," Ventus said. Vanitas shook his head as the two made their way to the candy shop. Vanitas had a secret sweet tooth that only Ventus and Sora knew about. Anything caramel was like his_ kryponite _. He got a bag of caramel popcorn while Ventus settled for a caramel apple._  
 _"Enjoy breaking your_ teeth _" Vanitas said as they looked for a bench, "Oh! Let's sit over there. We have a perfect view of the mirror maze. We can watch and laugh at kids who face plant the mirrors."_  
 _"That is so mean and so entertaining to watch at the same time," Ventus said as they sat down. He enjoyed a face plant every now and then. They say in silence for a while, consuming their snacks and snickering at the children who attempted to get through the mirror maze._  
 _"Vanitas" Ventus suddenly spoke up, "While I'm definitely not complaining about you kidnapping me and taking me here, I don't believe your reasoning about wanting to eat park food. You hate park food."_  
 _"You know me too well, I need to fix_ that _" Vanitas said, "But you are right. I do hate park food."_  
 _"So why are we really here?" Ventus asked. Vanitas leaned back on the bench._  
 _"Remember that time when you actually broke the law and we snuck into that carnival in Atlantic city?" Vanitas asked. Ventus nodded._  
 _"Yeah. We were eleven and I kept looking_ ove _my shoulder thinking the cops would show up to arrest us any minute" Ventus said, "Why do you ask?"_  
 _"Well, you took me there after I hit my lowest point at the time...when I was coping with accepting the fact that Sora was really_ gone _" Vanitas said, his voice growing solemn, "I was so_ devestated _at the fact that I was never going to see my cousin again. I didn't really want to be alive anymore at that point. I mean, you saw me, I was a walking corpse. But you said you were going to cheer me up, and you shocked even me when we just walked over the ropes and into the carnival. It was probably one of the happiest moments of my life, even considering why you were doing it. I wanted to return the favor. You looked...really bad for lack of a better term for it. I wanted to cheer you up, the right way this time. Also the legal way."_  
 _Ventus was completely taken by surprise. He just assumed that Vanitas felt like ditching everyone and going on a random trip. But they were actually here for him? Ventus had truly been having fun all day, but never would he have guessed that Vanitas took him here to cheer him up. He had done it years_ ago, _because he was scared Vanitas was going to kill himself and he didn't want to lose his best friend. He had just wanted him to be happy. Now that Vanitas was returning the favor, especially now with how fragile and foggy their friendship currently was, Ventus was extremely moved. He bit into his caramel apple to prevent himself from getting emotional, instead choosing to focus on not losing his teeth._  
 _"_ Wow _" Ventus said as he chewed, "Thank you. I mean, I'm sorry I had to be that pathetic in front of you, but thanks."_  
 _"Well, if you're willing to be even more_ pathetic _" Vanitas said, throwing his finished popcorn into the trashcan beside them, "How about we race the mirror maze? I'd love nothing more than to record you face planting into a mirror at full speed."_  
 _"Oh you're on," Ventus said, chucking his apple in the trash. He knew he was going to lose this race and probably end up with a broken nose by the end of it, but it didn't matter. Vanitas was doing this for him, and it wasn't out of guilt for once. He could live with that. Maybe the air wasn't as thick as he thought._  
  
THE DATE  
"Riku, you better not be lying to me about this movie. If it's scary, I'm walking out," Sora warned as they sat down closer to the back. He and Riku had finished dinner at last and were currently getting ready to watch a movie. Riku wouldn't let Sora see the tickets he purchased, and he covered his eyes at they walked into theater.   
"It's not scary, I swear. You'll like it, I promise," Riku said. What Sora didn't know, was that it was throwback night that night, and Riku had taken Sora to see the first Harry Potter movie, as Sora has never seen them but he's read the books many times. So unless Sora was afraid of witches, trolls, and funny ghosts, he would be perfectly fine. There was also not a lot of people in the theatre, so Riku didn't have to worry about Sora feeling claustophobic around so many people. But he went to high school, that was enough to make anyone claustrophobic. He notices Sora looking at his lap, biting his lip again. He was going to tell Sora to stop doing that. He was going to make it bleed.   
"Sora, what's wrong? Are you nauseous?" Riku asked, assuming all that milk Sora consumed was finally taking its toll. Sora shook his head.   
"Riku...I have to tell you something," Sora said sadly. Riku was worried. Was he not having a good time?  
"What is it?" Riku asked. Sora sighed before answering.  
"I lied to you earlier at the restaurant. I'm not a virgin," Sora said. Riku wanted to smirk but he held it back. Was that all? He was a little disappointed that he wouldn't be Sora's first if they made it that far but that was it. That's what his sad face was all about?  
"That's it? Sora, it's fine," Riku said.  
"I know but I should've told you the truth. I don't like lying" Sora said, "It's just that...it's the same issue with the kiss, I didn't enjoy my first time either. At all."  
Riku's heart tanked at that. His only assumption was that the abuser was the culprit behind that. Sex with another guy can definitely hurt, but there's many a ways to make it hurt way less and make it enjoyable. Riku felt bad for the little brunette now. Did he enjoy any of his firsts?   
"Don't tell anyone I told you this" Sora started, lowering his voice, "But I....I heard Roxas and Axel um...having sex one night..and it's part of the reason why I don't like my first time even more."  
"What do you mean?" Riku asked, although his ears were red from hearing that Sora heard another couple having sex.  
"It's just that my firs time...didn't sound like that is all," Sora said, and he turned away to chew on some of the candy Riku had bought him. Riku was confused. Sound like what? He didn't have time to ask as the lights dimmed and the first trailer began. It was a horror trailer.  
"Riku!"

 _THE CARNIVAL_  
 _"And this one is my favorite," Vanitas laughed as he replayed a video on his phone. It was an hour ago when he and Ventus raced through the maze. Vanitas had finished way before_ Ventus, _and even went back in to record Ventus trying to find his way out. In the video Vanitas currently playing, Ventus had_ ran _full force into a dead end, turned the wrong way and walked hard into a wall, falling back and hitting the other mirror. It was one of the four videos Vanitas took before taking pity on the boy and helping him find his way out._  
 _"Vanitas, I hate_ you _" Ventus said, his nose still sore from that collision, "That maze was dreadful! Even the person in charge said it was hard!"_  
 _"For losers like you," Vanitas said as they got to the front of the line they were standing in. Vanitas had wanted to get on the Ferris Wheel, as this_ ferris _wheel was different from all. Because of the fact that it was inside, instead of getting a view of the indoor park, each time you went up the wheel, a new picture earth's natural wonders would be displayed before you in action. It was truly a work of art._  
 _As they_ past _through the red line to go in, the guy in charge tapped Ventus on the shoulder as Vanitas got in._  
 _"Boy, that guy you got is_ c-u-t-e _child! Don't let him get away, he going to be in trouble!" the man said, smiling as Ventus who didn't know whether to laugh or just nod along. Ventus climbed into the carrier, the door was shut and off they went._  
 _"The guy at the bottom thinks you're cute, just so you know," Ventus said. Vanitas scoffed._  
 _"You know, I swore he was looking at you the whole time too," Vanitas said. Ventus punched him playfully in the shoulder. They get comfortable as the first natural state is shown before them. Niagara Falls, then the Sahara Desert, and then the_ alaskian _lights. Vanitas spoke up after they left Alaska._  
 _"Hey_ Ven _" Vanitas said, "I know we're having fun right now, but I need you to know that this morning, even though I looked completely calm and collected when you woke up, you honestly scared me last night. Not because I was afraid you had given yourself alcohol_ posioning _, but because I didn't know what to do to help you. You just looked so...broken. I've never seen you like that before, and it scared the living shit out of me that I could've been partially responsible for that, and the fact that you were that low_ to _begin with. You reminded me of myself, and I didn't like it one bit. I especially didn't like it that it was you."_  
 _Ventus wasn't expecting any of this from Vanitas. He had scared him? Not irritated him? Or made him mad? But now that Ventus thinks about what he could remember, Vanitas only yelled at him once that entire night._ Afterwards _, he was...gentle with him. He didn't yell at him, or glare at him...Had he truly scared Vanitas?_  
 _"I'm_ sorry _" Ventus said immediately, "I know you hate it that I'm always apologizing, but I really am sorry about last night. I hadn't meant to even drink that much. I had one cup and suddenly I just kept finding myself refilling the glass. Every time I thought about...everything, it just made me down another helping. I didn't think I'd break down like that. I thought I was handling the whole thing with my parents fairly well...but I guess I was just pushing it aside until I finally exploded. But I only reached for the booze because I didn't want to bother anyone, especially you, about my parental issues for the_ umpteeth _time."_  
 _"It's not like I ever make it easy for you to talk to me about_ it _" Vanitas said, "I didn't think the situation was that bad_ to _be honest."_  
 _Ventus knows Vanitas is only partially right. The fact that nobody listens to him EVER is another big bolt in his head but at least Vanitas understood something._  
 _"I want to start_ over _" Vanitas said, "I don't know what's happened to our friendship, but I don't like it. I want us to go back to where we used to be, not cutting at each others' throat 24/7. And probably be a bit more honest with each other."_  
 _Ventus had considered that many times, more times than he could count. But they couldn't do that. There was too much between them. And Ventus was still in love with him, he couldn't just forget about that and Vanitas knew that by now. Not to mention, if they had to start over, especially with honesty, Ventus would have to tell him everything. His parents, the rape, the cutting, everything. Vanitas looked like he was willing to listen now, but Ventus knew better. Vanitas would literally flip shit if he found out about Ventus cutting himself. He would be angry at him about the rape and not telling him, even though he's tried multiple times before giving up. Vanitas would never want to speak to him again. And Ventus didn't know how he would cope if they reached that point. He couldn't tell Vanitas now. He couldn't tell anyone now. It was too late._  
 _"How about instead of starting over, we just start from where we are now? No need to go all the way to the beginning. We can just try to argue less and talk more. Deal?" Ventus tried instead. If they started from here, that means Ventus didn't have to talk about anything before now._  
 _"Same damn difference but deal," Vanitas said, smiling at Ventus who smiled back before the both of them went back to watching the scenery passing by them, both deep in thought. Ventus thinking about his cutting and rape and how it would ruin their friendship for good if Vanitas found out, and Vanitas deciding whether or not to entertain the thought that's been eating at him since all of this started._

THE DATE  
"Why did you park so far away?" Sora asked as they got out the car. The movie had ended and Sora ended up loving it, beggin Riku to let him borrow the rest of the movies. They had just got Sora back home.  
"I'm always afraid of taking someone's parking spot, so I park far to be sure," Riku said as he too got out and closed his door, locking his car. The two started walking towards Sora's house.  
"Riku, is it really okay that I lied about being a virgin?" Sora asked. Riku couldn't believe it. Was that still bothering him?  
"Sora, it's fine. Why are you so bothered? Everyone tells a little white lie every now and then," Riku said, half smiling to assure Sora. Sora didn't answer and Riku sighed before he thought of something he was once told.   
"You know Sora, if your first time truly sucked, it doesn't have to count," Riku said.  
"What?" Sora asked, confused.  
"It doesn't have to count. You know how people have two birthdays sometimes? Or they're born again twice? Some people like to have do overs, even if it's not really a true first time around. Same thing with sex. If you didn't like your first time, then it didn't happen. It doesn't count," Riku explained. Sora was surprised. He didn't have to count his rape as his first time? Did that mean he didn't have to count all the other times as well? Because he never enjoyed any time it happened.   
"I have to ask though, so Cloud and Leon don't murder me. Did you have fun tonight?" Riku asked. Sora's face beamed at him.  
"I had an amazing time, Riku! I mean, it's not the first time I've been out as I make Vanitas take me everywhere, but I liked spending...alone time with you. I'm making sure to tell Vanitas to take me to that hot pot place," Sora smiled. Riku lost that last sentence. All he heard was Sora liked being alone with him and that was enough for him.  
"Well, I could always just take you for hot pot again if you'd like," Riku said, laughing to himself. When he heard no answer back, he stopped and looked back, not realizing Sora had stopped walking.   
"Riku...about these...do overs. If you could redo your first kiss, would you?" Sora asked. Riku stood frozen for a moment, but then he walked over to Sora, standing directly in front of him. The two stare at each other,round royal blue meeting sleek sea green. Riku watched as Sora's eyes kept darting from his eyes to lips, but he couldn't blame him as he was doing the same just now. And for once, Sora wasn't biting his lip.   
"Would you redo yours?" Riku asked. Sora, not trusting his voice, nodded slowly, meeting Riku's eyes. Sora could hear his heart beating in his ear like a parade, and he prayed that Riku couldn't hear it. He was surprised his face wasn't heating up as it always did, but his body definitely felt hot. He felt nervous and excited and scared all at the same time, and he wasn't sure he wanted to admit why.   
Riku leaned down towards his face, but just before he got close enough, Sora put a hand out to stop him. Riku opened his eyes (when did he close them?) and looked down at Sora's hand in confusion.   
"We should get back to the house before Vanitas has legal permission to punch you," Sora said nervously. Riku straightened up and forced a laugh, hoping it sounded natural.  
"You're right about that. Let's go," Riku said, continuing after Sora. Of course, both of them knew that wasn't likely to happen, as Riku had brought Sora back to his house an hour and a half early and they both knew it.

 _Oh my lord, this chapter was so freaking long!!! But I have to say, I extremely enjoyed writing this chapter! For once, things are looking bright for Ventus and Vanitas but Ventus still isn't being truthful! And Riku and Sora...just so close! So close! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, my fingers are tired. Next chapter is the school day after that missed kiss! How will Sora and Riku react around each other? Then, the group decides to go_ a end _of the semester party, as the holidays are arriving within a week. But something goes wrong at the party, but what? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	28. Silver Haired Man #3

SILVER HAIRED MAN NUMBER 3

_I don't own kingdom hearts or Final Fnatasy, this fic is for fun!_

  
Sora really needed to stop thinking about it. It didn't even happen, so why couldn't he get it out of his mind? In truth, part of him felt a little disappointed, and another part of him felt a little relieved. The disappointed side was winning by far but Sora's overwhelming nervousness pushed away the possibility. But the next day after Riku brought him home, he couldn't stop thinking about why he didn't let Riku just kiss him. Hell, he had practically asked for it when he asked Riku about re-doing his first kiss, and while Riku never answered him, he was pretty sure he knew where the situation was going before Riku even asked him the same question back. Why didn't he just let Riku kiss him? Sora knew exactly why. That damn man. Sora hasn't been kissed on the mouth by another since that afternoon he was rescued by Axel, Roxas and Demyx. It was the very last thing he did before he left Sora tied to the bed, like it was a normal goodbye kiss a person would give to someone they love. Sora could most definitely blame that instant for pushing Riku away, but he won't lie to himself, knowing it was that and his extreme nervousness of what that would entail that made him stop Riku. Sora just wasn't sure if he was ready for that quite yet. It was only one date. Didn't that by default make him easy? He was already a slut, and he didn't want Riku to figure that out.   
Sora wasn't distracted by his misguided thoughts until lunchtime, where he looked around the table and realized Ventus wasn't there, just Vanitas, Axel and Roxas, as Demyx skipped school to go hang out with Zexion. That was never a good sign. And now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Ventus that morning either.   
"Vanitas, where's Ventus?" Sora asked, doing his best to hide his worry for the blonde.   
"He went home early after second period. Wasn't feeling well," Vanitas said, having for once knowing why Ventus was absent.   
"Can we go visit him after school?" Sora asked.  
"I was planning to. You can come along," Vanitas shrugged. It's not that Vanitas was even worried about Ventus. He assumed Ventus had gotten food poisoning from the take out they ordered the night before, which wouldn't be surprising as Ventus had the immune system of an infant, and got sick from everything.   
"You know, you two have been pretty dormant around each other lately. You're not arguing as much," Axel commented. Vanitas scoffed.  
"Please, we've just decided not to be assholes in front of you people," Vanitas said, although what Axel was saying was true. After that carnival that day, Vanitas and Ventus had actually argued less. They still argued no doubt, but it was no longer at the volume of their past fights, normally ending with Ventus in tears and Vanitas going to abuse an inanimate object. Instead, they have clearly been talking it out, and even though the arguements are minor now, Vanitas prefers this over the catastrophic ones they're known for having. Plus, Vanitas has been taking it rather easy on Ventus, and a lot of it had to do with Ventus's confession and his calm admittance to it, as it was still eating at him. He didn't know if it was in a good or bad way, arguing with his own thoughts.   
"Bullshit. I stand by my claim, you two are secretly fucking," Axel said, causing Sora to choke on his juice, Roxas laughing but patting the brunette's back to help him out.   
"You were claiming that when we were arguing so your evidence is invalid," Vanitas replied, stealing a french fry off Sora's plate.   
"Whose evidence is invalid?" Riku's voice rang out as he came to the table. He and Sora made eye contact for only half a second and Sora turned away, a tiny flush to his cheeks appearing. He hoped nobody saw that, but he could always blame it on his recent choking of juice.  
"Axel's notion of Ventus and Vanitas secretly dating," Roxas explained as Riku sat down next to Axel.   
"I don't know enough to speak on that, so I'm remaining silent," Riku said, not wanting to even know where that conversation was going before he got there.   
"Roxy, you want something from the vending machine?" Axel asked. Roxas nodded.  
"Can you get me a snickers?" Roxas asked. Axel nodded, pulling on Riku's sleeve.  
"Walk with me," Axel said.  
"The hell? I just sat down," Riku said.   
"You'll live," Axel said, practically dragging Riku with him off towards the vending machine.  
"What's this about?" Riku asked. He's known Axel enough by this point to know Axel didn't just want a partner for a candy run.   
"What happened on Saturday night?" Axel asked. Riku was confused.  
"I took Sora on a date. You already know that," Riku said. Axel shook his head.  
"You know what I meant. Dude, I saw your car drive the street and you and Sora took a whole minute to walk down the block. So what happened, hm?" Axel asked, smirking. Riku laughed, now knowing what Axel was referring to.   
"For your information, nothing happened," Riku said, and it was mostly true. What he wanted to happen definitely didn't happen, so in his mind, nothing happened. Sora actually hadn't spoken to him since that night, ignoring his texts that following Sunday, so Riku just took it as Sora just needed some space.  
"Nothing happened my ass. I saw Sora blush when you came to the table" Axel said, and he saw Riku's quick look of guilt flash across his face and he smiled knowingly, "Ha! Something did happen! Start talking."  
"Axel, it's not anything that your evil mind is conjuring up. But if you must know, promise you won't tell Roxas," Riku said.  
"Hey, Roxy and I don't have secrets between each other," Axel said.  
"Well try as it may be for Sora's sake because I'm pretty sure he hasn't told a soul. But nothing big happened Axel. Actually, the only thing that could've happened almost happened but it didn't," Riku said.  
"Meaning?" Axel said.  
"I almost kissed Sora. Notice the word almost. He stopped me before I could," Riku admitted, still a little sore over the incident. He was sure that that was what Sora was practically asking him to do, so it was a little mystery to him as to why he stopped him. He could assume it was about the prior relationship, but he had asked Sora would he re-do it. Surely that meant he wanted Riku to kiss him, right?   
"Damn, what did you do?" Axel asked.   
"I didn't do anything. I leaned in, and he put his hand out, nudging me away, claiming we were about to miss his curfew," Riku said.   
"You were an hour and a half early," Axel commented. Riku nodded.  
"I know. Look, I'm not going to pester him about it. The moment probably passed in his mind and he just decided not to. Besides, there will be other opportunities," Riku said. Axel laughed as he finally paid for the snickers bar.  
"Oh? You planning on making more opportunities?" Axel asked with clear interest in his voice.   
"Yes. I didn't get interrogated by his uncles and take him on a date just so I could rub it in Vanitas's face. I like Sora, and I'm fairly certain a part of him likes me back, he's just a little nervous," Riku said. In his mind, Sora had every right to be nervous. He didn't know Riku like he knew the others. But Riku was pretty sure that Sora would let down his guard eventually. He wouldn't have agreed to the date otherwise.   
Axel nodded in understanding. He honestly wanted to two to work out, Vanitas's tantrum aside. He thought Riku was a cool guy. He didn't seem to have malicious thoughts about Sora, and he just liked Sora as he was, which Axel found admirable, as anyone else would either take advantage of Sora's shyness or just get irritated with his strange behavior. Even though Riku didn't know anything about why Sora was like that, and they only knew what Sora would tell them, it was clear that Riku had some idea (that bully idea as far as Axel knew) that Sora had suffered greatly in his past and he was adamant about not forcing Sora into anything he didn't want to do. Axel could see the two working out, and it would be good for Sora to experience a real relationship, and not an abusive sexual slave trip that he already endured.   
The two make their way back to the table to find Yuffie is there with a stack of envelopes in his hand.  
"Oh no, I know what this is," Axel said as he and Riku sat back down, handing Roxas his snickers bar.   
"Good, so you already know you have to come. You too, Riku," Yuffie said as she handed Riku a pink envelope. Riku stared at it.  
"What is it?" Riku asked.  
"An invitation to my end of the semester slash birthday party this friday!" Yuffie announced happily.  
"You switched it up this year," Vanitas said, having already opened the envelope, "No partying all night at some stupid hotel?"   
"Nope" Yuffie said proudly, "I actually wanted some structure this year, as it is my last. Dinner and then a bowling tournament! Losing team has to get pied in the face!"  
"That sounds fun" Sora smiled, "I've never been bowling before."  
"No? See, Vanitas, now you have to go. Sora won't go if you don't. Don't you want your cousin to experience bowling?" Yuffie said, pouting at Vanitas. Vanitas rolled his eyes.   
"Go away," Vanitas said. Yuffie laughed.  
"Fine. But you all better be there! I will come find you! Oh, Vanitas, give this to Ventus when you get the chance," Yuffie said, handing Vanitas another invitation before bouncing away.   
"Are we going, Vanitas?" Sora asked. He was going to go regardless, but he wanted his cousin to come as well.  
"I'd rather Yuffie not waste her birthday using her huskies to track me down, so I guess," Vanitas said, getting a hug from Sora in response.

  
\---

  
To say it was a little awkward during history class was an understatement. Sephiroth was out sick for the day so they had a substitute teacher who did nothing more than give them ten sheets worth of crosswords and told them to fill it out with the clues provided. When Sora realized before the bell rang that for the first time today he was going to be alone with Riku, he froze. What was he going to do? He was still trying to come up with an answer to rejecting the kiss on Saturday night, and he was sure Riku wanted an explanation for it. As Riku sat down and the "class" began, he and Sora had yet to speak to each other, Riku instead choosing to focus on the crossword puzzles, leaving Sora to his own devices. Sora felt his phone buzz in his pocket, and he took it out to find it was a message from Vanitas, asking Sora to ask Riku the address of the hotpot place they went last night. Sora bit his lip. Now he had no choice but to talk to Riku.  
"Um, Riku?" Sora asked, turning to face him. Riku looked up from the paper.  
"Hm?" Riku asked. Sora did his best not to stare at his lips. He failed three times at lunch already.   
"Uh, Vanitas wants to know the address of the hotpot place. Not sure why but he wants it," Sora laughed nervously. Riku smiled internally to himself. He knew precisely why Vanitas wanted the address to that place. It was so Riku wouldn't be the only one who could take Sora over there. Any chance to be alone with Riku was a death threat to Vanitas, and Riku couldn't help but mentally pat himself on the back for the next thing he said.   
"Are you sure you want him to know? You know if you go with him, he won't let you put cabbage in the soup," Riku said jokingly. Sora tries and fails to hide a smile.  
"I suppose that's true," Sora said, the cousin of a chuckle escaping his lips. That was cute, but Riku preferred the giggle.   
"How about we just keep the hotpot between you and I?" Riku asked, giving Sora a type of smile Sora never saw before, causing his face to heat up. How is it possible for Riku to make him blush so much? And why did he like it?   
"S-sure," Sora nodded more than voiced his response, a little distracted. Riku chuckles.  
"So for future reference, do I have to ask Cloud and Leon for permission every time I want to take you on a date?" Riku asked, throwing Sora off guard. Sora blinked. He hadn't really thought about that-wait. He wanted to go on more dates with him?  
"Yea, I don't see why not," Riku responded with a smile. Sora's eyes widened when he realized he had said that out loud. He was a little shocked and glad and relieved at the same time. So Riku still wanted to take him on dates even though he didn't let him kiss him.   
"Well, I'm not sure, but I don't think you have to ask anymore. I think you just have to at least let them know now," Sora said with uncertainty. He didn't really know how this worked after all. Did Riku have to ask every time? That sounds rather tedious. He got Sora home an hour and a half earlier than expected, which impressed both Cloud and Leon, so Riku should be in the clear now, shouldn't he?  
"Well, where would the second date be?" Sora asked.   
"Are you agreeing to it?" Riku asked. Sora paused for only a moment before he nodded.  
"It's a surprise then," Riku replied, winking at him. He had to hide his snicker as Sora turned away from him, face completely red. Jesus, Sora had to stop blushing in front of this boy! That was the first time he ever saw Riku wink at him and he felt a warmth spread through him faster than when Riku did that tilt of the head thing.

  
\---

  
Ventus honestly couldn't count the amount of times he's sneezed, but it was hurting his stomach. He wasn't even sure if he had food poisoning or the flu or what. His head hurt, his stomach hurt, and now his mouth decided to get stuffy. He hoped this was one of those 24 hour bugs that he just randomly caught and it would go away by tomorrow. He already threw up everything he tried to eat, so he gave up after the third try. He got a text from Vanitas a while ago that he was coming over to check on him, and Ventus for once didn't want Vanitas to come over for the soul reason that he didn't want him to get sick with whatever the hell it was that Ventus had. But he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't appreciate it. Ever since the carnival, he and Vanitas have really calmed down with the arguing, and Ventus's parents even called him earlier today and apologized for yelling at him, even though Ventus was pretty sure his mom just felt guilty that he was now sick and she thought it was some kind of punishment on their part for yelling at him. Another good thing was that Ventus hadn't felt the need to cut himself since that catastrophic night. His wrists were beginning to heal pretty nicely.   
He heard the front door open as well as a loud "We're here!" from downstairs. Ventus wrinkled his brows. We?   
He heard two pairs of footsteps coming up the stairs, and Ventus was completely confused when he saw Sora walking in after Vanitas. Why was he here?  
"How you feeling?" Vanitas asked. Ventus shrugged.  
"I'm not even sure what I'm sick from. I woke up from a nap with a stuffy nose just now," Ventus explained.   
"Did you eat?" Vanitas asked as he sat Yuffie's envelope on the table beside Ventus.   
"I tried. After I puked from it the third time, I gave up," Ventus said.   
"That's because you can't cook," Vanitas said.   
"We brought you Yuffie's invitation to her party," Sora said. Ventus groaned.  
"Oh no, is it that time again?" Ventus asked.  
"Hey, she actually changed it up this year," Vanitas said.  
"Something about dinner and bowling," Sora added.  
"Oh? She must've run out of hotels to bother," Ventus said, "Um, not to sound rude or anything, but how come you're here, Sora?"  
"I was worried when Vanitas said you have the immune system of an infant. It sounds like you get sick a lot," Sora replied. There was another reason he came over but he didn't want to voice it in front of Vanitas.   
"Oh...um, thank you, I guess" Ventus said, not sure how to handle that, "Don't listen to Vanitas. I don't get sick like that. I just tend to catch a cold more than most people."   
"And everything else under the sun but cancer" Vanitas added, "Listen, I know you said you tried to eat but since you're a shitty cook, I'll go make you some soup and crackers."  
"I'm only going to throw it up, I'm sure," Ventus opted.   
"Not if you don't inhale it," Vanitas called over his shoulder as he went downstairs, leaving Ventus with Sora. Ventus noticed that Sora was looking around nervously, and he sighed.   
"Why did you really come over?" Ventus asked, dragging Sora back to reality.   
"Huh? I told you," Sora said. He really didn't know how to handle Ventus by himself. Not since that bathroom incident. But he wanted Ventus to know that he didn't have to deal with that alone.   
"I'm not the best at reading people, but you look like there's something else you wanted to say. So what is it?" Ventus asked. Sora hesitated, biting his lip. He sighed before deciding to just dive right into it. He didn't have much time before Vanitas returned.   
"Ventus, are you really sick?" Sora asked. Ventus blinked.   
"Did you not hear me talking about me puking and my stuffy nose?" Ventus asked. Why the hell would he be faking this? He hated being sick!   
"It's just that...last time you were absent...it wasn't-um, you didn't come to school of your wrists, did you? If something happened?" Sora asked, not really sure how to ask him about this. He watched as Ventus looked at him like he just offended him, and Sora guessed he kind of did.   
Ventus had not expected Sora to ask him that. He had left him alone since that bathroom incident, and hadn't tried to talk to him about any of it, only sometimes through text which Ventus always ignored. How dare he ask him about that? He didn't even understand the entire situation, he had no right to even assume that! He couldn't sport his anger at the brunette though. Sora was still number one in Vanitas's world, and their relationship was still hinging on Ventus's treatment towards Sora, as Ventus had a sneaking suspicion that Vanitas still thought he was jealous of him. He turned away from Sora.   
"It had nothing to do with that. I am actually am sick," Ventus said. As if on cue, he wrinkled his nose and then sneezed, groaning as that made his head hurt more as he laid back against the pillows.   
"Oh. I'm glad" Sora said, "I mean, not glad that you're sick, but-"  
"Sora, with all due respect, stop trying to talk about that with me. I'm handling it just fine. It's not your business nor your concern anyway," Ventus said, cutting Sora off.   
"But Ventus, you shouldn't have to face it alone," Sora said, his heart sinking.   
"I don't want to talk about it. Especially with you," Ventus added.  
"But Ventus, I know about the other thing," Sora said. Ventus snapped his head towards Sora so quick he almost gave himself whiplash.  
"What other thing?" Ventus asked. Before Sora could answer, they heard Vanitas coming back up the stairs. Vanitas pauses in the doorway, noticing a drop in the atmosphere.  
"What happened?" Vanitas asked.  
"Huh? Nothing," Sora said before Ventus could. Vanitas doesn't seem to believe him but brushes it off and sets the tray down in front of Ventus.   
"You, eat. I gotta take Sora home. I'll call you later," Vanitas said.   
"If I throw it up, you owe me $5," Ventus said.   
"Deal. At least you're eating it," Vanitas said. He grabbed his bag off the floor and bid farewell as did Sora. Sora closed Ventus's door as Ventus stared at the soup, his mind jumbled. What other thing was Sora talking about? Ventus had a few other things he was struggling to deal with, what could Sora have possibly known? He thought back to the bathroom incident, and how Sora, after having thrown the razor out the window, went and gave it back to him almost in understanding. He didn't think about why Sora had done it at the time, mostly because he didn't want to think why. But now he was curious. What did Sora know? And whatever it was, did that mean Vanitas knew?   
"So what happened?" Vanitas asked he pulled out of Ventus's drive way.  
"Huh? I told you, nothing happened," Sora said.   
"You're a bad liar, Sora. You and Ventus both had a look on your face that was not there when I left," Vanitas commented. Sora shrugged.  
"It's nothing. It's just that I get a little upset Ventus is upset," Sora said.  
"Why? What did he tell you?" Vanitas asked, intrigued. Had Ventus told Sora something? Perhaps something about what's been eating at him that he won't share with Vanitas?   
"He hasn't told me anything" Sora replied, "It's just that sometimes when I stare at Ventus, I noticed that Ventus just has this look on his face like he's thinking about something that's depressing him immensely. It just puts me in an unhappy mood sometimes when I see it."  
Vanitas thought that was extremely weird but he suppose that would explain all the times before when Sora would make Vanitas text Ventus after the two had a fight.   
"Don't trouble yourself with it, Sora. Ventus and I talked it out, it's fine," Vanitas said. Sora beamed.   
"You did? That's great!" Sora said, smiling brightly. So Vanitas knew everything now. That was good. That meant that Ventus wasn't alone anymore. Sora could relax about him now.

FRIDAY EVENING  
"I love that all of you are deciding to go this year," Cloud said happily from the couch.   
"Yes, we finally get our house back," Leon added as he came from downstairs.   
"You guys act like you don't enjoy our company," Roxas said as he was putting on his coat.  
"No offense, but none of you except Sora lives here. You do have parents and homes that could ues your attention once in a while," Cloud said.  
"Speaking of which, where is he?" Leon asked.  
"He went to the bathroom, I think," Axel said. Vanitas came out of the kitchen, finishing a conversation with his mom.  
"Yes...I don't know...no, I had no part in that...Okay, bye," Vanitas said, hanging up the phone.  
"Damn, you don't even say I love you to your mom?" Roxas asked.  
"I can miss a few," Vanitas replied.  
"Speaking of Vanitas's parents, um, Cloud and Leon, when exactly is anyone going to introduce Sora to his aunt and uncle?" Axel asked. It was very strange that Sora knew his cousin but had yet to talk to his aunt and uncle, who were very much alive. Cloud sighed from the couch as Leon answered him.  
"As bad as this is going to sound, it's actually not safe for that to happen yet. We've been over this with Vanitas and Sora before," Leon said.  
"Why not? He knows Vanitas," Roxas said.  
"Well, we hadn't known that was going to happen. But as for his mother and father, it's best if they don't quite know Sora is alive yet," Leon said.   
"If they're told, there's no doubt that they will want to reopen the investigation upon Sora's parents' murders. That in turn would bring in the police, which then would put Sora in harm's way. It would turn into chaos and it would make it extremely easy for whoeve abducted Sora in the first place to find him again. Not to mention you two and Demyx would be arrested for breaking and entering, not to mention the graffitti charges," Leon explained. He and Cloud had talked about this many times when they were alone, especially when Vanitas first arrived and they found out he was related to Sora.   
"Well, when you put it like that, that does sound catastrophic," Roxas agreed.   
"Yeah. I know my parents, they won't keep their mouth shut if you paid them. They would blow the entire secrecy out of proportion, wanting national news," Vanitas said.  
"Which Sora doesn't need. As far as his abductor is aware, Sora made it two states away by now. At least that's what we hope," Cloud chimed in. He and Leon felt horrible when they had told Sora he couldn't meet his aunt and uncle quite yet, but Sora also understood what could happen if his aunt and uncle were to reopen the investigation. That man would find him, and probably kill everyone who was hiding him. Sora didn't want to put everyone else in danger.   
"What's everyone talking about?" Sora asked as he came downstairs.  
"About all of you getting out our house for the evening," Leon smiled as he rustled Sora's hair. Everyone else shook off the recent conversation, not wanting to upset Sora right before they went off to a party. Demyx and Riku had beaten them there already. The five of them bid goodbye to the married couple before getting into cars and driving off, Cloud closing the door.   
"Leon, do you think we should tell them about last Thursday? Or the other things for the matter?" Cloud asked.  
"No. They'll only try to take matters into their own hands. We can handle it," Leon said. Cloud nodded in agreement.

  
\---

  
"You came!" Yuffie yelled happily as she rushed to the entrance of the restaurant. Yuffie's place of choice was a huge building used for three different venues. Eating, clubbing, and of course, bowling. They were currently in the restaurant portion of the building, which took up the entire third floor. The second floor was the club, and the first floor was the bowling alley with an arcade attached to it.   
"Yeah, yeah, happy birthday," Axel smiled, giving Yuffie a huge hug as did Roxas. Axel handed her a box.  
"Ooh, what's this?" Yuffie asked.  
"Something for you to open not at this party," Roxas said. Yuffie gave an evil smile.  
"You two know me so well," Yuffie said. She led them to the section of the restaurant where her friends were. Most of them were people Sora didn't know by name but he recognized a few of them from his classes and by some who Riku had introduced him to. He spotted said silver haired guy at one of the tables, talking to Kairi who was sitting next to someone who Sora definitely never met, but she looked exactly like Kairi, except she was blond.   
"Let's go sit over there," Roxas said, grabbing onto Sora's arm and draggin him towards Riku's table.  
"You leaving me, babe?" Axel asked in feigned disbelief.  
"Yes. I'm not having you molest me under the table all night," Roxas said as he walked away with Sora in tow. As they approached the table, Kairi saw them first and got up.  
"Sora! Roxas! Hi guys!" Kairi greeted, hugging them both together. Riku looked behind him. They finally got here.   
"Help has arrived," Riku said, making room for Sora and Roxas to sit. Roxas looked across the table.  
"Namine! It's been a while!" Roxas said upon noticing the blond. Now that Sora was closer, he was definitely right about that girl, Namine, and Kairi looking alike. If it weren't for the hair, they'd be ideantical. Namine also looked smaller.   
"Right! Sora, this is Namine, my twin sister. Namine, this is Sora, he's the new kid I was telling you about," Kairi introduced them.  
"I thought that was Riku," Namine said.  
"Him too. We had two," Kairi said.  
"It's nice to meet you" Sora said, "But I don't think I've seen you in school."  
"Oh, I don't go to Honey High" Namine said, "I go to Spruceton."  
"Spruceton?" Sora asked.  
"Its this prestigious dance school. My twin is a badass ballerina!" Kairi cheered.  
"And tapper apparently," Riku added. Sora looked at Namine in amazement.   
"You tap? I like tap dancing. I mean, I don't do it myself but I love watching videos and reading about people who do," Sora said.  
"Really? Do you have a favorite?" Namine asked.  
"I really like Billy Bo Jangles," Sora said. Namine smiled.  
"I love him! He always looked so happy whenever he was dancing," Namine said.   
"I mean, he was dancing with America's sweetheart at the time, Shirley Temple," Sora laughed.   
"She was the reason I started tap class. I used to tell my mom that I was going to be the next Shirley Temple," Namine said. Riku, Roxas, and even Kairi just watched the two talk so animatedly with each other. While Kairi was estatic as her twin sister was a wallflower, and Roxas was just straight up shocked, Riku was actually a little jealous. He had to pull pins and needles to get Sora to talk that naturally to him, and sometimes Sora was still a little resigned. Riku had gotten used to it, and even got Sora to open up a little bit, but his reaction to Namine was definitely not the same reaction he got.  
Well, Namine also didn't bloody his nose with a door upon arrival.   
Everyone else eventually joined in the conversation, and Namine invited them all to her recital in at the end of the year, to which Sora was estatic about. Riku was trying not to be jealous, he really was. But it was a little hard watching someone who pushed him away from trying to kiss him speak to someone else, a girl no doubt, with so much energy that he literally had to earn. Sora just seemed so at ease talking to Namine, and Kairi had switched seats with Namine so they could directly across from each other. Roxas noticed Riku's expression, and nudged him.  
"I wouldn't worry if I were you,," Roxas said.  
"Who said I was worried?" Riku asked.  
"I know that look because it's on Axel's face all the time. But if you want, I can ask Sora if he likes Namine," Roxas said.  
"You think I'm jealous," Riku said. It wasn't a question.   
"You are," Roxas laughed. Riku looked away, guilty. Yes, he was jealous. He didn't work that hard to get Sora to go on a date with him for Kairi's twin sister to come and steal everything he worked for. Riku made a mental note to take Sora to see The Nutcracker.  
The food came at last as conversations died as everyone dug into their food. Riku finally had Sora's attention, as he let Sora try his food, spoon feeding him before Sora even knew he did it and immediately blushing upon figuring that out. When everyone finished eating, Yuffie lead everyone to the first floor, where the bowling alley was.   
"You guys already know what teams you're on! The team that comes in last place has to do the hot pepper challnge!" Yuffie announced. There was cry of mixed cheers and groans as everyone got to their stations. As everyone was putting on their shoes, Roxas came over to Sora.   
"You warmed up to Namine pretty nicely," Roxas said.   
"Huh? What do you mean?" Sora asked.  
"You and Namine literally kept talking to each other until the food arrived. I have to admit, I was a little jealous. I've known her longer than you and I can't keep her attention nearly that long," Roxas laughed.  
"Oh no, I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Sora asked. Roxas shook his head, figuring it was best to leave Riku's jealousy out of it for now.  
"So you like her?" Roxas asked.  
"She's nice, yeah," Sora said.  
"No, I mean, like her. Like more than a friend like," Roxas explained. Sora scrunched up his face in confusion.  
"No, I mean I don't like her like that," Sora said.  
"Because you like Riku more?" Roxas asked. Sora's cheeks flushed as he fumbled on trying to answer.  
"It's not-that's not the same! It's just that...I don't know...I don't feel as weird talking to Namine," Sora said.  
"What do you mean weird?" Roxas asked.   
"When I'm talking to Riku, I...I always feel slightly embarrassed when he brings up things that I don't know about. It's like my face is constantly red whenever I'm talking to him. I guess it's my nerves getting the better of me. I don't like Namine like that, but Namine has a very calm demeanor about her and I don't feel like a fool talking to her," Sora explained. He had nothing against Riku, he liked Riku, a lot, but he always felt bad, pathetic or embarrassed around him when something was new to him. Just the other day Riku made him pinky promise about the hotpot idea and Sora didn't even know what a pink promise was. Talking to Riku always reminded him of how little he knew about actual life, and that in turn reminded him of his status as a slut.   
In the midst of their conversation, the two didn't realize that Riku was in the booth beside them, and he hd heard everything. So did that mean Sora didn't like talking to him?   
Riku was confused. He was sure that Sora liked it when the two of them would talk. Sure, Sora would go red in the face every other second, but Riku adored that. It was making Sora uncomfortable? Was Riku trying this entire time in vain? Sora didn't feel comfortable talking to him, and that hurt Riku a lot more than he thought it would. He excused himself to go get a soda, the two never noticing he was there.   
"Wait, so you don't like Riku?" Roxas asked.   
"Huh? No, I do. You already know that. I like Riku, probably way more than I should, he just makes me nervous. Don't make it sound so bad, I do like talking to Riku, I really do. It's a bit different than when I'm talking with you guys. He makes me smile for a bunch of stupid reasons, but I enjoy it. And it always feels like he's talking just to me, even when we're with everyone else. I mean, I've started looking forward to texting him, just so I can talk to him. It's weird to try and explain it," Sora decided, ending his explanation. Roxas nodded, smiling.  
"Well, as long as you know who you like," Roxas said. Sora nodded. It was definitely Riku that he liked. Namine was cute and quiet like himself, but Riku made his heart jump a beat, which he would never tell Roxas as that was too personal. Roxas saw Riku coming back from the vending machine.  
"You know you're on our team, right?" Roxas asked.  
"Yeah, I know. I was just tying my shoes somewhere else," Riku said. He and Sora met eyes for a quick second before Riku looked away, but not before Sora saw something that didn't sit well with him. Riku had a weird look in his eye. Was that sadness?   
The game had started, and luckily, Sora's team was not the one in last place at the moment, thanks for Riku who was way too skilled at bowling, and Pence who was somehow amazing at the split pin shot.   
"Riku, you haven't gotta a gutter ball yet!" Roxas said, amazed.  
"It's all in the wrists," Riku said, showing off his wrists, making Roxas laugh.   
"You're up," Riku said, giving Roxas a ball. He went and sat back down.   
"How did you get so good at bowling?" Sora asked, clearly impressed. Riku shrugged.   
"My uncle used to take me a lot. I picked it up," Riku said before getting up to help Roxas who he had given a smaller ball by accident and now Roxas couldn't get his fingers out. Sora huffed in defeat. Riku had been acting weird since the competition started. Normally when Sora would talk to him, Riku would give him these stories or at least his amazing one liners. But Riku had been giving him these weird clipped answers lately, and he wouldn't look at him the way Sora was used to. He hadn't blushed once since the game began, which actually made Sora feel odd. And if Sora thought about it too much, he also noted that Riku seemed more animated talking to Pence and Roxas, and even Yuffie who was making rounds to see who was in last place. What was going on? Did he do something wrong?  
Sora excused himself to the bathroom, as he felt his throat choking up and he didn't want to end up crying in the booth and ruining everyone's good time. He made his way to the bathroom and managed to wipe away the first few tears that were coming down. He shouldn't even be crying right now. Why was he so upset? Yes, Riku's behavior was weird to him, but there was no reason to cry. Sora knew this shouldn't hurt his feelings as much. This was bound to happen. Eventually Riku would get tired of him, he didn't feel obligated to look after him like the rest of guys. Maybe he just didn't like him anymore, and that hurt Sora a lot more than he wanted it to. He didn't want Riku to not like him anymore. He still liked Riku! Maybe Riku found out he was a slut after all. Maybe it was because he didn't let him kiss him that night. Sora knew that was a stupid move. He should've just let him do it, damnit! Why was he so stupid?!   
"Hey, what's with the tears, cutie?" a voice said, making Sora jump. He hadn't heard anyone come in. There was now a guy in the bathroom with him. The man was rather tall, and rather built. He had short controlled dark grey hair, and Sora couldn't tell if his eyes were just a really pale blue or a light grey. The man's features were sharp and he had pale skin, and Sora definitely didn't like the way he was looking at him. Sora wiped at his tears.  
"Sorry..I didn't hear anyone come in," Sora said, sniffling.  
"No need to apologize. But why the long face? You're too cute to be crying like that," the man said, leaning against the sink. Sora looked away from the man's leering eyes.  
"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Loz. What's your name?" the man asked.  
"I-I'm Sora," Sora replied. He needed to get back to the alley. Something deep in his gut was telling him to leave the bathroom. Now.   
"Sora, eh? That's a cool name. Suits you" Loz said, "What do you say you come with me to the club upstairs? Some dancing will make you smile, I promise."  
"Um...no thanks, that's okay," Sora opted, moving towards the door. Lox moved to the left, causing Sora to stop.  
"Aw, but you look so sad. You get in a fight with your girlfriend?" Loz asked.  
"I don't have a girlfriend," Sora said.  
"Mean old boyfriend hurt your feelings?" Loz asked. Sora looked away but was too late to respond.  
"Ah, I knew it. Listen, come dance with a couple of friends of mine upstairs, we'll cheer you up," Loz said.  
"That's really nice, but I think I'd better go," Sora said, finally side swiping the tall man and heading out the door. He didn't get very far as a hand suddenly shot out, grasping his shoulder when he got out the bathroom. Sora turned around and backed away, unfortunately backing himself into a wall, which Loz put an arm out to, blocking one of his exits. Sora had a feeling that if he tried moving to the other side, it wouldn't work. He was truly scared now. Loz was reminding him very much of his abductor, and he wanted more than anything to get away from him.  
"Listen, cutie, I'm not as scary as I look, but I'm gettin desperate here. Why you in such a rush to get away from me? I don't bite, I swear. Unless you want me to that is," Loz chuckled at the end.   
Roxas had took the liberty of taking Sora's turn as Sora said he could if he wasn't back by then but Riku was getting a little nervous. This was Sora's second missed turn, and going to the bathroom doesn't take that long. Riku got up, claiming he was going to get a candy bar, instead making his way to the bathroom. He didn't even have to walk far before he came across what was taking Sora so long. A few feet from the bathroom, Riku saw that someone was talking to Sora but Sora didn't look like he wanted to be a part of the conversation. What was going on? Just as Riku thought to go get Vanitas to come with him, he saw Sora attempt to walk away from the man only for the man to intentionally block his exit, and he cornered Sora with both his arms on the wall.   
Vanitas could wait.  
"Alright cutie, I don't like to get rough, but you're being really hard about coming to dance. Trust me, your little boyfriend won't miss you," Loz said. He was getting irritated fast.  
"Is there a problem?" Riku asked, suddenly appearing behind Loz. Loz got off the wall and turned around to see who was talking to him. Sora's eyes widened in shock and relief.   
"Mind your business, I'm talking to a friend," Loz said, glaring at Riku.  
"Yeah, well the friend you're talking happens to be my friend. And I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to talk to you," Riku said coldly.   
"Oh, are you the boyfriend? Look, your lover was in there crying, alright? I was just going to cheer him up," Loz said just as coldly.  
"Let's skip the pleasantries. I'll give you two options. You can either leave now and I don't break your jaw, or you can keep it up and I break your face. And, if you're lucky enough, I have another person who will have no problem in assisting me," Riku threatened. Sora had never seen this side of Riku, he reminded him a lot of Vanitas at the moment. Normally, this type of behavior would scare Sora, but he was honestly a bit...flattered. But why was Riku defending him? Wasn't he mad at him?   
Loz looked from Riku to Sora and back, eventually straightening up, putting his hands in his pockets.  
"No need for all that. He's not worth it" Loz said, turning and walking away. He smirked at Sora as he walked away, "You know where to find me, cutie."   
Riku swallowed the urge to pummel him then and there, and instead relaxed and focused his attention on Sora, who was still shaking and his eyes were watery.  
"Hey, you alright?" Riku asked, coming up to him. Sora didn't answer him, and he looked at the ground instead, not wanting to look Riku in the eye. Riku didn't know what else to do, so instead of trying to talk to him again, he just pulled him into a hug. In the embrace of Riku's arms, Sora unexpectedly let the tears from the fear he was holding back out, and he hiccuped as he cried onto Riku's shirt. Riku just held him as he cried. He had never seen Sora cry before, and now he knew he never wanted to see it again. It was quite devastating. The look Sora had on his face with that guy was the same look he had when Riku had accidentally grabbed him so long ago. He recognized that look. That was the look of fear.   
Riku ran a hand through Sora's hair softly, trying to soothe him. After about three minutes or so, he heard Sora murmur something.  
"What?" Riku asked.   
"I want to go home," Sora repeated, finally separating from Riku. That was not a good idea. If Sora went home like this, and he came with Vanitas, then Vanitas would no doubt go find the bastard and murder him. And Cloud and Leon would throw a fit. No, Sora could not go home.   
"Come with me," Riku said, taking Sora's hand and leading him out of the bowling alley. They actually went straight out the building, Riku leading him across the street to a tea shop. Riku had discovered this place a while ago, and it reminded him a tiny little cubby hole. It was called The Hideaway. Inside there was a tiny tea shop, where you could drink tea or hot chocolate or coffee, and eat macaroons while reading plenty of books they had stashed along the walls. He found a corner near the back and helped Sora slide into the booth.  
"W-why are we here?" Sora asked. He didn't want to be here. He wanted to go home!   
"Wait here a minute, okay?" Riku asked. Sora sniffled but he nodded nonetheless. Riku went to the counter. God, he didn't like Sora's face right now. His face was for once flushed in a way Riku didn't like, and his gorgeous blue eyes were cloudy with tears and a little puffy, and Sora just looked defeated. It made Riku want to go back across the street, find that guy, and beat him to a bloody pulp. He may even get Vanitas to join him. The waitress came back to the counter with his order and Riku thanked her and walked back to the table. He set a cup down in front of Sora and one in front of himself.   
"I don't understand," Sora said, staring at the cup in confusion.  
"It's a strawberry acai with coconut milk. Try it. I think you'll like it," Riku said calmly before taking a sip of his own berry hibiscus. Sora took a tentative sip of the drink, and Riku relaxed a bit as he saw Sora's expression lighten a bit, liking the flavor. He set the cup down and his frown returned.   
"T-thank you...for saving me," Sora said quietly.   
"Don't thank me for that. That guy was a prick. I wasn't going to let them happen," Riku said.   
"I still don't understand," Sora said.  
"Huh?" Riku asked.  
"Why did you come rescue me?" Sora asked.  
"Why wouldn't I?" Riku asked back. He was confused now.  
"You don't like me anymore. Why did you help me?" Sora asked, biting his lip to prevent himself from shedding more tears.   
"What? Sora, who said I didn't like you anymore? I never said that," Riku said, alarmed. Where did he get that from? Is this why that guy said Sora was crying in the bathroom?  
"At the bowling alley" Sora said, wiping the tears the escaped, "You weren't talking to me like you normally do. You kept giving me these clipped answers and you wouldn't even look at me when you said it. I thought you were mad at me. I thought you hated me and it hurt. It hurt a lot," Sora said, more tears escaping. Riku's mouth dropped open. Is that what he thought?  
"What? Oh no, Sora, I could never hate you. I'm not mad at you. I wasn't mad at you. I was trying to make things easier for you," Riku said.   
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked. Making what easier for him? Riku looked down a moment before answering.  
"I-I overheard you and Roxas talking earlier" Riku said, "About how you feel embarrassed talking to me."   
Sora's heart sank. Riku heard that?   
"I didn't want to engage conversation with you because I didn't want to make you uncomfortable. I thought you didn't like me," Riku explained. Sora stared at him in disbelief. Is that what he thought?  
"Riku...no, it's not like that," Sora said.  
"So you don't get embarrassed talking to me?" Riku asked. He was sure that's what he heard.   
"No, I do, it's just-you didn't hear it right. And you didn't hear what I said after that" Sora said, "I do get embarrassed when I'm talking to you sometimes, but it doesn't make me uncomfortable! It's just that you know so much more common knowledge than I do and sometimes I just get flustered. But I like talking to you! Or when you talk to me! I like that you can make me smile at weird stuff and laugh at things I didn't even think was a thing to laugh about. I feel really happy when I'm around you. Even when I'm blushing, I'm enjoying it-"   
Sora shut his mouth at that. Why the hell did he say that? He didn't even tell Roxas that. Not knowing what ele to do, he took a sip of the drink. It really was good. What was it called again?   
Riku sat back in the booth and smiled, feeling a little cocky.  
"So you like it when I make you blush?" Riku asked, very much amused by that comment.   
"I-I-I didn't say that," Sora fumbled, his face even going red as he said it. Damnnit, why can't he control that?!  
"We'll pretend you didn't" Riku said, sliding closer to Sora in the booth, "I'm sorry if I made you feel that way, Sora. I thought I was making things easier for you. I guess I wasn't. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's never my intention to do that when it comes to you."   
"I'm sorry you misunderstood what I said," Sora said, and he unconsciously leaned into Riku (when had he gotten that close?). His body heat felt nice. There was a peaceful silence between the two for a moment before Sora sighed.   
"Riku, I'm sorry about Saturday night," Sora said.  
"What are you talking about?" Riku asked as Sora leaned back up.  
"About...pushing you away from me...it was just a reaction that came from something else and I wanted to at the time but I also didn't and-"  
"Sora, it's fine" Riku said, now knowing what he was talking about, "I was pushing a little much that night. It's okay. I don't want to push you into something you don't want to do."   
Sora hesitated a moment before responding.  
"Do you...do you still want to...kiss me?" Sora asked, looking Riku in the face now. Riku stared back at Sora, the feeling that night resurfacing faster than he was prepared for. Again, Riku replied with his own question.  
"Do you want me to kiss you?" Riku asked.   
Sora didn't even nod this time, but Riku could see it in his eyes what his answer was. Sora didn't move, but Riku did as he leaned down as Sora closed his eyes and he closed his, connecting their lips in a soft kiss.

_Alright, that's it, my fingers hurt! This was not meant to be that long, holy macaroni! I hadn't even intended for that ending, but you know what, as I was writing, I just thought meh, this is well earned now. Sora just keeps attracting Silver Haired people, what's up with him? I hope the wait was worth it because this wasn't supposed to happen until after the second date! Next chapter is the second date, where Sora and Riku decide on the fate of their relationship. But it's also now the holidays, so guess who's uncle is coming back. And what the heck were Cloud and Leon talking about? What have they been doing? Also, Ventus goes to visit his parents since he won't see them on Christmas, and he runs into a horrifyingly familiar face that sends back into his own chaos. Will he choose the blade or call Vanitas? Comment if you want! Stay Tuned! Poof!_


	29. To The Next Stage?

TO THE NEXT STAGE?

  
_I don't own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This fic is for fun._

  
"Ice skating" Sora said as he stared at the rink, "We're going ice skating?"  
"It's winter. I'd figure why not?" Riku shrugged as the guy handed him the two pair of skates.   
"Riku, you know I don't know how to skate, right?" Sora asked as they sat down on a bench to put their skates on. Riku chuckled.   
"Sora, I guarantee you half the people on that ice right now don't know how to skate," Riku said.  
"I'm going to fall," Sora pleaded.  
"You won't be the only one," Riku said, nodding towards the ice. Sora looked up in time to see a girl who was already wobbling suddenly crash to the icy floor, but she appeared to be laughing. That sight relaxed Sora a bit. At least everyone wouldn't be looking at him like he's pathetic.   
"You ready?" Riku asked, standing up, holding out his hand.  
"Do I have a choice?" Sora asked, grabbing onto Riku's hand. Riku carefully lead Sora to the entrance to the ice rink, and almost as soon as Sora's right foot made contact with the ice, he hesitated.  
"This is terrifying!" Sora said, although he was half laughing.   
"Sora, you'll be fine. Just hold on to. I'll do my best to not let you fall," Riku said. Sora put a death grip on Riku's forearm, which Riku was just fine with as they slowly made their way onto the ice. Sora did not like not feeling his feet on the ground, and instead depending on the two skinny metal slaps on the bottom of the shoes as comfort. They were moving rather slowly at first, but as Sora started to actually get his balance, he noticed that Riku didn't seem to be having any problem.  
"Why aren't you wobbling?" Sora asked.   
"Hm? Oh, I'm quite used to this," Riku said.   
"You know how to skate?" Sora asked. Riku nodded.  
"Only on ice though. You won't catch me in a roller rink, it's a disaster," Riku said.   
"How did you learn?" Sora asked, a little jealous that he was the newbie in this situation. But come to think of it, he was new in a lot of situations, with or without Riku.   
"My aunt taught me" Riku said, "She's a competitor in ice skating competitions. She used to babysit me a lot when I was little, and she taught me how to skate while she practiced. I got to learn a new skill and she got to practice for the tournament. It was win-win."  
"That is so unfair," Sora said as he watched other well balanced skaters skate past them. Even though Sora was used to the ice now, he still refused to let go of Riku's arm, which was fine by him. In fact, he was so occupied just letting Riku lead him around the rink and watching the other people who were turning and skating on one foot, that he completely missed that Riku was trying to change direction, and discovered too late that it was because a child had fallen in front of them. Sora leaned backward by accident and ended up plummeting to the ground, landing on his butt on the cold ice.

  
\---

  
This was probably one of the weirdest trips to California Ventus had ever witnessed. Anytime he went over to visit his parents, his parents were always busy, and they would often leave him to his own devices. Ventus remembered when they left him in the restaurant that day and he still wasn't quite over that. But this trip was different. Instead of being greeted with a limo that picked him up from the airport, Ventus was quite shocked to find both his parents at the airport, who were waiting for him so they could all go out for lunch together. At first, Ventus assumed that they must think it's his birthday, but that was ages ago and they had called him on that day, for once, so that couldn't be it. He was greeted with hugs and everything, his mom asking him if he was feeling better from days earlier.  
While Ventus was quite suspicious of their sudden attentative behavior, he would be lying to himself if he said he wasn't enjoying it. For the first time in a long time, his parents had chosen his needs over their own businesses and lifestyles, and he was really happy about that. He wasn't cut off from their phones ringing, and his mom didn't even have her laptop with her. They even apologized again about him not coming to the banquet that week, saying that it was fine that he wasn't there, there wasn't much to do there anyway for a child. As of right now, they were currently in the restaurant where they had ditched him last time, and Ventus couldn't help but feel a little deja vu, but as long as neither one of them answered those phones, he could live with it.   
"So how's Vanitas? He's graduating with you, yes?" his mom was asking him as they waited for their food. Ventus nodded.   
"Yeah. Even the teachers that don't like him are a bit sad to see him go," Ventus joked.   
"Have you thought about any ideas for college?" his dad asked. Ventus forced himself not to roll his eyes. Leave it to his parents to forget this conversation every time.   
"I'm going for journalism, remember?" Ventus asked.  
"Oh, that's right!" his dad said, laughing.   
"What's Vanitas going for?" his mom asked. What the heck was up with his mom and asking Vanitas all night?   
"Vanitas is going for...actually, I'm not too sure of that," Ventus said, and he was telling the truth. He knew Vanitas liked telling people what to do, and since Vanitas seemed to enjoy the theatre department when he actually participated, he could say Vanitas would do stage managing.   
"I have to say, I'm happy that the two of you remained friends this long. Most people your age split off each other after middle school," his father said. His mother agreed.  
"It's nice to know you have someone you can count on. But you're very self sufficient. I mean, we did raise you to be that way," his mother said. They barely raised him at all, but Ventus was pushing that all aside. They were actually paying attention to him this visit, he wouldn't spoil it.   
"I'm going to go use the restroom, I'll be right back," Ventus said, getting up from the table. Ventus wasn't a complete idiot. He was purposely going to the bathroom to test them. Would they leave him or would they stay? He wondered what emergency would happen in the five minutes he would be gone.   
As he closed a stall door mainly to just sit there for a minute to collect him, he heard the bathroom door open again, a man was talking on the phone.  
"Yes, I heard what happened. And all I have to say is that I'm glad I don't have any kids," the man was saying.   
"I can't believe that's how that Grand Cherry Banquet ended," the man went on. Ventus perked up his ear. Grand Cherry? That was was the banquet he got scolded for not being there for. What happened?  
"What part did you hear?...Mhm, the nerve of those kids. Their parents give them everything their spoiled little hearts ask for, and they sneak alcohol into their hotel rooms?" the man said, annoyed. Ventus snorted. At least he wasn't there for that.  
"And that Myers kid? Oh, he was the worst. He sold them all out. Kid came crashing into the ballroom piss drunk, and he exposed all those kids. I'm guessing he was the least wealthiest one, they're the only ones who's going to snitch on their fellow friends. Man, I knew kids got into some stuff, but that kid let it all on the table!" the man laughed, and Ventus smiled. Those spoiled kids got busted big time!  
"Uh huh...Who? The Mendors? Oh, no, their son wasn't there. Yeah his name is Ventus I think. Weird name," the man said. Ventus froze. Did that Myers kid say something about him?   
"The Mendors were the only ones whose kid was absent. Boy, they looked so embarrassed. But it turned out good for them. Their son didn't end up in the morning tabloids like the rest of the lot. Even the drunk kid said Ventus was a goody two shoes. Kid doesn't even drink. The Mendors got lucky that night, at least their reputations were saved by Ventus not being there...Yeah, I've seen the kid before, looks a lot like his mom....."  
Ventus stopped tuning in as he heard of the end of the story.  
That explains it. That explained everything.   
The apology, the special attention, all the hugs and encouragement. They weren't paying attention to Ventus because they actually cared about him. They were giving him attention because hadn't embarrassed them at that stupid banquet!   
Ventus fought the urge to kick the stall in anger and howl. He knew something was up! He knew it! Why, why can't for once in his life, his parents just pay attention to him just for the sake of being a parent! No wonder he was being showered with love this visit, and why they apologized for the yelling, they were just happy he was announced to everyone by the Myers boy that was the good seed out of the wealthy kids. Ventus took a few deep breaths and calmed himself down.  
He was having a good time. He now knew why he was having such a good time, but was it really that bad? He didn't have to apologize about not coming now. In reality, he didn't do anything wrong. In fact, he did everything right by not coming to visit that time. This was a reward. Yes, it was highly superficial, but it was a good thing nonetheless. Ventus pushed down his anger for his parents. He was enjoying his time here. He was just going to enjoy it. Damn his parents' real reasons.

  
\---

  
Riku made a mental note to order another plate of cheese fries, as he was going to finish this before Sora made it back from the bathroom. After having fallen for the third time, Sora claimed his bladder had had enough. Riku smiled to himself. Even though he wasn't used to it, Sora seemed to be enjoying the skating, which was a plus to Riku, as he was afraid how Sora was going to react to this date.   
Riku was also worried about Sora in general, mainly the topic of whether he should try to kiss him again or not. Riku had been thinking about their kiss at the tea shop since it happened, and after much thought, Riku had a sneaking suspicion that Sora was suffering from hero's syndrome, and that he only let Riku kiss him because he had saved him from that Loz person moments beforehand. He chuckled to himself as he remembers Sora saying after the kiss that he will count that as his redo, which gave Riku a bit more hope. At that moment, he even thought about kissing Sora again right then and there, but Kairi had managed to find them, saying that since they left, Roxas and Pence lost and had to suffer the losing consequences alone, and that the two of them were going to kill Riku and Sora.   
That next morning, Riku and Axel had went for a morning jog, and Riku told Axel about what happened with Sora and Loz and the tea shop kiss. Axel had thanked Riku for coming to Sora's rescue, and he congratulated him on getting a kiss out of it, which in turn made Riku believe Sora was suffering from hero's syndrome. The other matter that made Riku suspicious about it was that Sora hadn't said anything about the kiss at all. He almost acted as if it never happened, and Riku had made no move to try and kiss him again afterwards. Sora was still incredibly shy in his own Sora way around Riku.   
His train of thought was interrupted as he saw Sora return from the bathroom, and he was also relieved that he made it back here unscathed. He didn't want another bowling alley incident. And so soon too.   
"Good, you finished the fries," Sora said as he came back.  
"Was I suppose to?" Riku asked. Sora nodded.  
"I want to get back on the ice," Sora smiled. Riku blinked.  
"Oh, you do? I thought you were done after the third fall," Riku said, grabbing his ice skates again. Sora shook his head.  
"I was, but that was because it was starting to hurt. But I'm okay now," Sora explained as he too put on his skates. Riku shrugged, just happy that Sora didn't hate him for taking him there.   
As the two got back on the ice, Sora was mentally thanking himself. He wasn't that excited to get back on the ice as he pretended to be, but he would rather skate and fall on his butt than have Riku bring up Yuffie's birthday party. Sora wasn't going to lie, he was overjoyed when he and Riku had kissed, Riku's lips were incredibly soft, but he was starting to think it wasn't a good thing anymore. For one thing, Riku hadn't tried to kiss him since then, and Sora had a horrible feeling that Riku was regretting ever kissing him, and Sora didn't want to hear Riku tell him so. So he chose to just completely ignore the topic. He was afraid Riku no longer liked him after kissing him, which he knew didn't make any type of sense, but that didn't mean it wasn't possible. He didn't want Riku to not like him anymore, because he liked him a lot.   
The two do an amazing fifteen laps around the ice rink before Sora finally caves, saying his legs are tired now, as he let go of Riku sometime ago so he could see those skills Riku was bragging about earlier and he was even no longer holding on to the side. Cloud and Leon were also expecting Sora home soon, and Riku wasn't fond of trying to test Cloud and Leon's warning of lettimg Vanitas punch him if he returned Sora home past curfew. As they got in the car, Riku decided to bring up what's been on his mind since it happened.   
"Hey Sora, about what happened at the tea shop," Riku started. Sora froze. Holy hell, what?! He wasn't prepared for the rejection so soon.   
"Riku, I-"   
"Did you only let me kiss you because I saved you from Loz?" Riku asked, cutting Sora off. Sora blinked. What?   
"Huh? No. That wasn't it at all," Sora said, confused.  
"It wasn't?" Riku asked. Was his suspicion all for nothing? Sora shook his head.   
"No, not at all. I let you kiss me because I stopped you the first time...and also because I wanted you too," Sora said the last part a little quieter, his face going a bit red. Riku sighed in relief.  
"Good" Riku said happily, "I was starting to think that you had hero's syndrome and was regretting it now."   
"What? I thought you were regretting it. You haven't tried to do it since then and I got worried that you decided it was a mistake. I didn't want to give you the chance to say it, that's why I wanted to get back on the ice," Sora admitted. Riku laughed despite himself. Here they were both thinking the same thing for separate reasons, and it turns out both of them were completely wrong!  
"So you want me to do it again?" Riku asked. Sora turned away, his face fully red now.   
"I didn't say that!"   
Riku just laughed as he continued to drive. His head was clear now. He didn't need to worry about his next move then, at least not so much. As he pulled into Sora's neighborhood, he purposely parked like he did before, a bit away from the house so he could do it properly.  
"Hey, Sora?" Riku asked as they got out of his car.  
"If you're asking me on another date, the answer is yes, because I like the placees you've been picking," Sora said, giggling as he said it. Riku smiled. At least he got that ahead of time. And there was that glorious giggle again.   
"Thanks for the heads up, but I wanted to ask you something else," Riku said. He purposely slowed his walking, and Sora followed suit.   
"What is it?" Sora asked.   
"Sora, I wanted to know if you wanted to go out with me," Riku said. Sora looked at him, confused.  
"I just did," Sora said slowly, lost. Riku chuckled lightly.   
"Not that. I mean, that too, but I meant out out. As in dating...like Roxas and Axel dating," Riku said as he tried to figure out how to explain what he was asking. He watched as the wheels in Sora's head began putting the pieces together, and his mouth opened slightly as he got it.   
Sora was absolutely dumbfounded. Riku wanted him to be his boyfriend? As in a real boyfriend? When he didn't respond fast enough, Riku continued.  
"Sora, I'll be honest with you, I've probably been crushing on you since the day I accidentally bloodied your nose" Riku said, "Aside from your outer appearance, which I like very much, there was just something about you that I found...rather good. You're adorable, you know that right? And even though you have a lot of odd things that I don't need an explanation for, you have a really kind soul. You accepted me as your friend before the rest of your friends did, and you've been very generous in defending me from Vanitas. I think you have a secret passion for food and when you're really happy about something, your eyes just shine really brightly. You're an honest person, and I repsect that."  
Sora's heart sank at that last sentence. He was anything but honest, especially to Riku. But if Riku knew the truth, he would see Sora for the slut he was and he would never speak to him again. But that didn't stop his heart from beating out of his chest in hearing Riku talk about him like he actually mattered to him. That gave Sora a really warm feeling that he couldn't explain.  
"Riku...um...th-that's really sweet of you" Sora said, "But..I think I need to think about it. I'm not really...used to this."   
Riku nodded in understanding. With Riku's conclusion of Sora coming from an abusive relationship, he suspected as much. He just hoped Sora liked him enough to say yes. The two finished the walk to Sora's house as Riku walked Sora up to his door. Before Sora took out his eye, Riku placed a hand on his shoulder.  
"Hey, uh, not to predetermine your decision, but I just wanted to let you know that even though it's a bit early to declare this, I promise that I'll accept your decision either way" Riku said, "I don't know about any of your prior relationships, if you've had any, but I want you to know that I would never hurt you. Okay?"   
"Oh...yeah. Okay," Sora said. Riku leaned towards Sora, and Sora closed his eyes, expecting a kiss on the lips.   
So he jumped a little when he felt a pair of warm lips touch his forehead instead.   
He opened his eyes as Riku saluted him before walking back to his car, and Sora hurriedly put the key into the door, hoping he could blame the redness on his face thanks to the cold. He was surprised when he opened the door to find all the boys, except Ventus, in the living room.  
"What are you all doing here?" Sora asked, a little relieved but shocked at the same time.   
"Hey, just because you're not here doesn't mean we don't come over just to bug Cloud and Leon," Axel said as Sora closed the door.   
"I'm waiting for the day you get here past curfew. Where were you?" Vanitas asked.  
"We went ice skating. I fell three times but I had fun," Sora smiled. Vanitas rolled his eyes and went back to his phone as Sora went upstairs to take a shower and change into his pajamas, his mind still on Riku. Riku wanted him to be his boyfriend, and he said he would never hurt him. Sora bit his lip in worry. Relationships were built on trust, he's read enough romance novels to know that. How was he supposed to be with Riku if he was constantly lying to him about his life? But he wanted to date Riku, if he wasn't the slut he was, he would've told him yes that very second.   
But could he tell Riku the truth?

  
\---

  
Ventus hated ordering food to go from a diner, but he didn't feel like eating in and he mostly wanted to get back to the show he was watching in his hotel room. His parents had went to bed before him in their own respective room, but Ventus had a feeling that even though it was 10pm, they were probably still up doing some work. He had all but forgotten about the real reason they were pampering him, and he didn't really care. He had had a good day, and he couldn't wait to see what sort of pampering he got from them tomorrow. Ventus looked up from his phone to the gentlemen in front of him, as he was waiting for the waitress to return. He noticed that the man had the tattoo of the moon on the back of his neck that was partially covered by the hoodie the guy was wearing, and his dark wavy hair. For some reason, the back of his head looked familiar to Ventus, but he couldn't place it. He honestly just figured it was probably because it was slightly similar to the back of Vanitas's head after a shower.   
A child suddenly came running from the other side of the diner, and Ventus cringed as he felt the child behind him. It's not that he didn't like children, it's just children were clumsy, and parents always let them run havoc at diners. Said child, after spinning around in a circle, stopped suddenly and tried to regain his balance, and he fell into Ventus, who in turn topped forward right into the guy in front of him.   
"Oh my God, I am so sorry! It was an acci-" Ventus stopped his apology as the man turned around. The two stared at each other as Ventus choked on his apology. The man had everything familiar. Familiar green eyes, familiar black wavy hair, familiar round nose, familiar everything. The man looked at him calmly, noticing the kid behind him.  
"No problem, kids are clumsy," the man said as he turned back around, the waitress finally coming back with a few bags for the man's to go order. Ventus was dumbfounded. That couldn't have been him. It was just a highly good doppelganger. People had doppelgangers, he and Roxas were doppelgangers for crying out loud! That man didn't recognize him, there's no way that was him. And Ventus didn't remember that tattoo anyway. He kept his head down as the man walked past him, not even trying to make eye contact with the doppelganger again. He approached the counter as the waitress placed his bag on the counter.   
"That'll be $21.87" she said happily, "Cash or card?"  
"Uh, it'll be cash" Ventus said, pulling himself together as he pulled out $30, "You can keep the change."   
The waitress smiled brightly as that statement, and Ventus smiled too, knowing he was a great tipper when it came to things like this. Just as he wished her a goodnight, she got his attention,  
"Just a moment" she picked up a piece of paper, "The man in front of you left this for you. He's a cutie." The smile she gave was as if she knew the man had left Ventus his number, and Ventus rolled his eyes. This wouldn't be the first time this happened. It happened to Vanitas and Axel a lot as well. He grabbed the peice of paper and placed it in his pocket as he left and went back across the street to the hotel, his mind still on that man.   
That was extremely scary, and Ventus couldn't even conceal the panic setting in that well. He knew it wasn't the man, there was no way. He was California, it was impossible. So why was the paper burning a hole in his pocket?  
He practically threw his later dinner on the table when he finally made it to his room, and he ripped the note out of his pocket, praying it was just another phone number he could throw in the trash can.

  
_-Nice to see you again, Sugar Lips.-_

  
The color drained from Ventus's face.

  
 _***_  
 _"Ah! Stop it! It hurts! Please!" Ventus screamed as he was repeatedly pounded into, his wrists hurting from being tied under him._  
 _"You're being too loud, shut up," another man said as he gripped Ventus's hair, pulling him up. He forced Ventus's head towards him as he attacked the boy's mouth, pushing his tongue inside._  
 _"Mm, what did you eat before this, sugar lips? Your mouth_ taste _like vanilla," the man said, licking his lips as he left a trail of saliva between his mouth and Ventus's. He pushed Ventus's head back to the ground, Ventus groaning from the impact and the persistent thrusting he was still enduring. The man climbed over his face, his cock hanging in front of Ventus's mouth. The man gripped his hair again._  
 _"Let's put that sweet mouth to good use, okay?" the man said, before digging his nails into Ventus's head, making him open his mouth in a cry of pain before shoving his cock down the boy's throat._  
***

  
The note fell to the floor as Ventus crashed to it, his whole body shaking.  
It was him.   
The fucker that was involved in Ventus's rape, and he had the nerve to leave him a note!   
Ventus could feel the panic setting in. He could feel it through to the tips of his fingers as his heart refused to slow down. He could feel it all. The shame, the shock, the fear, the pain...the pain.  
He didn't want to feel this! Not when he was having such a good visit for once in his life. He looked at his bag suddenly. He knew how to stop the pain.  
Ventus forced himself up off the floor and tore through his bag, looking for the pouch he kept his razor in. Just as he pulled it out with his shaking hands, his buzzed, presumingly from an email. He paused as he stared at it.   
Vanitas. He could call Vanitas. Vanitas said if something went wrong, he could just call him. Ventus reached for the phone, but then he paused. It was one in the morning over the east coast. Ventus couldn't wake Vanitas. But he needed him right now. He needed to hear his voice. He needed someone to say that everything was going to be okay. He scrolled through his contacts until he found Vanitas's name, but stalled again on hitting the call button.  
If he called Vanitas, he would have to tell him. He would have to tell him everything. He couldn't do that. Vanitas would ask questions, and probably hate him by the time it was over. He couldn't tell Vanitas. But if he didn't talk to him...  
Ventus looked at the blade. He'd been relying on this for so long now. He was in pain, this solved the problem. It didn't ask any questions. It didn't hate him. It didn't yell at him. It didn't tell him he had changed. It only did as he wanted.   
And right now he wanted to stop the pain he was feeling.   
He looked at the phone in his hand, and then the blade.  
He forced himself to hit the call button.

  
\---

  
Vanitas wished immediate death on whoever was making his phone buzz at this moment. He groaned angrily as he turned down the brightness before sliding to answer, not seeing who called.  
"Who is it?" Vanitas asked angrily.  
"Vanitas? Vanitas, it's Ventus, I'm sorry I woke you, but I really need to talk to you right now," Ventus said, trying to control his panic. It didn't work, as Vanitas sat up on the couch almost immediately, hearing the panic through his voice.  
"What happened? What's wrong?" Vanitas asked, awake now.   
"Vanitas, I want you to promise that you won't get mad at me before I tell you," Ventus said. If Vanitas got mad at him now, he would lose it. He was finally opening up, he wasn't ready for Vanitas to shut him out again.   
"Ventus, I'm more worried than mad right now. You sound like you're about to have a heart attack, what h-" Vanitas was cut off from his sentence as suddenly Sora screamed from upstairs, waking up the other boys as well. Vanitas looked towards the stairs in worry. His cousin was having a nightmare.  
"Ventus, I'll you back in fifteen minutes," Vanitas said.  
"Wait, Vanitas, don't-" Ventus stopped as he heard his phone beep, ending the call.   
"No!" Ventus said, redialing the number, only for it to ring with no response. Ventus dropped his phone in his lap, defeated. This is what happened. This is what always happened. Something was always in the way. Something was always more important. Something always mattered more. To his parents. To Vanitas. To everyone.   
Ventus didn't bother wiping the tears that had began to fall. It didn't matter. Vanitas had lied.

  
\---

  
Vanitas soothed over Sora's hair as the boy slept soundly. He had had a rather harsh nightmare tonight, and Cloud had made a notion that the nightmares seem to be coming back in the amount of times they happened. Vanitas had been the one to wake him, so Cloud and Leon could console him during the hypnosis, Vanitas helping hold him still to calm him down. He sighed heavily. He hated seeing his cousin suffer. If it weren't for these nightmares, you could forget that Sora was ever suffering. These nightmares and the scars that refused to heal were like a constant reminder of the pain his cousin had been forced to endure. He looked towards the clock. The ordeal had taken them longer than normal. A good twenty five minutes.  
"Shit!" Vanitas quietly cursed himself as he remembered he was supposed to call Ventus back. he had said fifteen minutes. He left Sora's room, closing his door, and headed downstairs to where everyone else was falling back asleep. He grabbed his phone and dialed Ventus's number which he knew by heart. Ventus had sounded extremely worried.   
"Pick up Ventus," Vanitas said, mentally slapping himself for being so stupid.

  
\---

  
Ventus's phone was buzzing rapidly, but the blonde didn't hear it. He was asleep on his bed, dried tears stuck to his face.   
The razor sat on the soap dish of the bathroom, a bit of dried blood still on it.

 _This chapter went from "aw, how sweet" to "Omg, what the hell" in 2.2 seconds. Hope you didn't think Sora's nightmares were over! Especially not with his tormentor on the rise! We got a little insight into what happened to Ventus, and bad Vanitas for picking the wrong boy to attend to. Next chapter, Riku gets an official answer from Sora. Is he going to tell Riku the truth about him_? We _also look a bit into what Cloud and Leon have been doing to ensure Sora's safety. And how will Ventus and Vanitas friendship hold up now that Ventus thinks Vanitas didn't pull through? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	30. Sora's Decision, Ventus's Offer

Sora's Decision, Ventus's Offer

_I do not own these characters. This fic is purely for fun. I get no profit from this._

  
"What about this?" Leon asked, holding up a plush Curious George. Cloud looked at him bluntly.  
"Leon, the boy probably doesn't even know who Curious George is," Cloud laughed. Leon nodded, deciding Cloud was right and put the plush back. He and Cloud were currently in the mall, doing some major last minute shopping. They were done with their relatives a long time ago, but, funny enough, in the midst of everything going on, they actually forgot to get a gift for Sora. The two had so far picked out a number of things for the boy, but Cloud still felt like something was missing, even though they already been to seven stores by this point.   
"Cloud, I honestly think he will like whatever it is that we give him. He's never really had the opportunity to actually celebrate Christmas, you know," Leon as he followed Cloud around the store.   
"I know that, but I still feel like I haven't found something that he suits him," Cloud said. Leon walked next to him.  
"Actually, while we're on the subject of him, I should probably tell you why I was home late the other night," Leon said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. Cloud paused.  
"Should I take out the book?" Cloud asked. Leon nodded as he and Cloud decided to leave the store be for now. They found a secluded part in the food court where no one was sitting close to as they got settled into the seats.  
"What happened?" Cloud asked, the book already opened.   
"I took a detour yesterday on my way home from grocery shopping, and I went into that weird crepe shop over west. There was this man in a black cloak that I noticed while I was in line. When I got my order and was ready to leave the store, the man stopped me and held up a picture, asking me if I had seen this person. Now, the person in the photo was very clearly malnourished and underweight, but I know for a fact that the kid was Sora. Although the picture had his eyes washed out. I wouldn't have known it was even Sora if we hadn't seen him close to that condition. I couldn't see the man's face that properly either. He said that the kid was suffering from anemia and had ran away from home. Now we both know that's a complete lie, but I was afraid that someone would miraculously recognize that photo of Sora," Leon explained.  
"So what did you say?" Cloud asked as he continued to write.  
"I lied to him" Leon said, "I said I could've sworn I saw a kid like that a couple of weeks ago at the airport. He looked at me funny as if he couldn't believe the kid would somehow make it to the airport. So of course he asked where was the next flight going and I thought of the first place where some runaways go. I told him Michigan."  
"For the care centers they have there?" Cloud asked, already knowing why Leon had picked Michigan. Leon nodded.   
"That's what I told him when he asked why anyone would go to Michigan. He bought it really well because he cursed to himself asking how he could've forgotten about that place. He left after that," Leon finished. Cloud finished writing and he closed the book. He sighed a little in relief.  
"Good, that means the search is out of the city, and state for that matter," Cloud said.  
"This is getting bad," Leon said. Cloud nodded.  
"I know. That's the fourth incident," Cloud said. The boys knew nothing about the bigger picture, but in the time that Sora has been with Cloud and Leon, the married couple had taken major measures to ensure his location stay secret. While the school had been no problem because they don't ask questions as they consider Sora an orphan since nobody knows he's actually related to Sora. But Leon and Cloud had given themselves rules along with the boys. If they were in crowded places or the general public, they would not say Sora's name. They had even managed to keep Sora's exposure to the city limited. There was no coincidence that all the places the boys took Sora to were always a bit out of the way, even Riku's date. The places were like that on purpose. The two knew they couldn't completely avoid Sora being in the city as he was going to school there and he was hanging out with the kids, but at least they had more control over it versus if he were just wandering around by himself. One of those exceptions were Yuffie's birthday party, which they had debated highly with each other before letting Sora go. They wanted to give Sora the experiences he missed out on because of what he was living through, but they also had to be careful about it, as it was now clear that someone was actively looking for him. But thanks to Leon, they might be able to relax a little, as now the search has been completely taken out of the state.   
"Should we have him stay home a couple of days then? It is the holidays so there's no need for him to go out much," Cloud said. Leon shook his head.   
"The kids will get really suspicious if we just randomly decide to make Sora stay inside. He did that enough when he first got to our house. I don't want him to get cabin fever. Besides, there's still the issue of New Years and us having to leave him hy himself," Leon said.  
"Oh I almost forgot about that," Cloud said. He looked over towards the stores again when something caught his eye. In the window of an antique shop sat a circular shaped box in the display window. The box was blue and silver and there were figurines of horses galloping around in a circle.   
"Let's go in there," Cloud said suddenly, putting the black book back in his bag and going towards the store, Leon following behind in confusion. Cloud walked into the store and immediately went to the display window, pulling the box from the shelf.  
"It's a music box! This is perfect for Sora!" Cloud said happily. He turned to the man behind the counter, "How much is this music box?"   
\---  
Cloud and Leon came home to find Sora in the living room, watching another Christmas classic. He's been watching them since they started on December 1st.   
"Which one is on tonight?" Cloud asked as Leon carried the bags upstairs.  
"What? Oh, uh, it's Rudolph's Shiny Year. I liked the one they had on yesterday better," Sora said.  
"Yeah, I was always a fan of The Year Without A Santa Claus. The miser brothers is a classic," Cloud said, but he noticed that Sora didn't really seem to watching the movie. His focused looked elsewhere.  
"What's on your mind?" Cloud asked, coming around the couch. Sora definitely wasn't watching the movie. He was staring at his phone, a blank text message up as if he was trying to text something.   
"...Riku...asked me out...officially asked me out. I have yet to give him an answer," Sora said sadly. Leon, who was on his way back down the stairs, heard what Sora said, and joined the two of them on the couch. Neither Cloud nor Leon had expected Riku to do that so soon, assuming he liked Sora past a fling. This was a little shocking to the both of them. The boys were coming over tomorrow so they could spend actual Christmas with their families.  
"What's stopping you from giving him an answer?" Cloud asked.   
"A few things" Sora said, "For one, I'm actually...a little scared of an actual relationship. I don't really know how they work, regardless of the amount of books I've read. And I've only known...bad reprecussions for anything assumed as a loving gesture. Also...if I agree to go out with Riku...then that would mean that-..that I would have to tell him the truth. If I tell him the truth, he will hate me."   
"Sora, may I tell you something?" Leon said, "Just because you're dating someone doesn't mean you have to tell them everything about yourself. That's supposed to be something that you learn along the way, not upfront. Cloud and I didn't know everything about each other when we first started dating."  
"Yeah, I didn't even know Leon's last name for a good while," Cloud laughed, "But Leon's right. You grow to know each other. If you knew everything on the first go, it takes the fun of the journey out of everything."   
"But I would have to tell Riku the truth still," Sora mentioned, not seeing why they couldn't see the problem. Everything Riku knows about him is based on lies.  
"Sora, trust is built, not given," Cloud replied.  
"Well he's going to ask eventually. I have a really weird feeling that Riku is catching onto something already," Sora said sadly.   
"Well, Sora when that time comes, if it comes, then that's up to you," Leon said, "If you feel as though Riku has earned the right to know everything, then you can tell him. But if you're not comfortable with sharing it with him, then do what you always do and tell Riku you don't want to talk about it. If Riku can't respect that decision, then he's not worth it."   
"I'm never going to be ready to talk about it," Sora said quietly. Especially not with Riku. Sora didn't even want to tell the others when he had first arrived, and that was only the short version of everything. He couldn't tell Riku everything. Riku would be disgusted.   
"Sora, we know it's scary to think about" Cloud said, "And trust me when I say that neither one of us want you to get hurt. But if you have any romantic feelings towards Riku, then there's no harm in taking that dive. If you don't think it's worth it, just let him down easy. Riku seems like a nice kid, he'll understand."  
Sora sighed. That made a bit more sense but he had a tough choice to make. He did have romantic feelings towards Riku, a whole lot of them. He had two options: he could say no and regret possibly having someone actually care for him like a normal person should, or he could say yes and get to experience what he's been denied all these years. But Cloud said relationships were built. So maybe Riku didn't have to know the truth just yet. He didn't have to know how slutty Sora truly was.  
\---  
Cloud was more than relieved when the boys finally came over, all except Riku who had to fly out and see relatives. He was grateful for that too. He felt like Sora hadn't come up with his answer yet and it would've been awkward, but at least with the company here, it would take his mind off that issue for a little while.   
When they arrived, Sora noticed that Ventus looked a little...off. More than usual off too. Sora had tried to say something to Ventus but Ventus had walked right by him like he hadn't heard him, and Sora bit his lip in worry. Did he and Vanitas get into another fight?   
"What's with all the gifts?" Axel asked, noticing the unsual amount of presents under the tree.   
"Those are actually for all of you" Leon said, "But most of them are from Sora. He wanted to thank all of you and so did we for your patience and cooperation. But you can't open them until tomorrow when you're with your families. I'm not cleaning up mounds of wrapping paper tonight."  
Rounds of 'thank yous' and 'you shouldn't have' went around and Sora smiled. He was happy that he had been to able to get gifts for them. They've been dealing with him for so long now, he wanted to show his appreciation. The doorbell rings a few minutes later as the boys are exchanging horror tales of past family christmas functions anew. Roxas gets up to go answer the door.  
"Sora, it's for you," Roxas calls immediately upon seeing who it is. Sora, confused as to who would here for him who wasn't already in the house, gets up and goes to the door as Roxas goes back to the living room, and is taken by complete surprise when he sees Riku.  
"Riku! Uh, I thought you were traveling," Sora said. Sora could feel his heart racing. He hadn't made up his mind yet! What was he supposed to do.   
"I know, I have to go in a few minutes so I can't stay long. But I wanted to give this to you before I left," Riku said, holding the tiny box Sora just now realized he was holding in his hand towards him. Sora stared at the box, surprised and a little bit guilty. He hadn't gotten anything for Riku on account of he wasn't thinking about it when he was going shopping.   
"I can't accept that Riku. I didn't get you anything," Sora says sadly.  
"I'm fine with that. I didn't expect you to. But I saw this while I was out one morning and I'd thought it would be perfect for you. Go on, take it," Riku chuckled. Sora slowly took the box from Riku's hand with his own hands shaking a little as he cradled it against his chest.   
"T-thank you," Sora said, not sure if he was stuttering because he was nervous or because it was cold outside. He hoped the blush that had risen to his cheeks was because of the latter.   
"No problem," Riku says. Before Sora can register that Riku had moved closer, Riku quickly stole a kiss on his forehead. Sora couldn't stop the heat to his cheeks intensifying as Riku laughed and waved him off as he got into his car. Sora stood in the doorway dumbfounded until he could no longer see Riku's car, and he closed the door, composing himself.   
"Who was at the door?" Cloud asked, coming from the kitchen.  
"It was Riku. He couldn't stay long he had a flight to catch," Sora said, remembering Riku said something along those lines. Cloud eyes the box knowingly with a smile.  
"Who's that for?" Cloud asked, already knowing the answer.   
"F-for me. He said he thought it was perfect for me...," Sora said, trying his best not to show how happy he was beginning to feel at the thought that Riku had gotten him a gift and he barely knew him.  
"Welp, add it to the mounds of gifts over there," Cloud said before retreating back to the kitchen.   
"Hey, how come Riku didn't get anything for the rest of us?" Axel asked as he watched Sora place the small box under the tree.  
"Because Riku isn't trying to win brownie points with the rest of us," Roxas said, hitting Axel in the side.   
"If you don't like it, can I burn it?" Vanitas asked, looking at his phone.  
"What? No!" Sora said, after realizing what his cousin asked. Vanitas smirked, knowing he was going to do it anyway. Cloud finally came back into the living room with glasses of eggnog.  
"Please tell me you put alcohol in it," Axel said.  
"Uh no. I'm not getting arrested for giving minors alcohol. Get in trouble on your own time," Cloud said as he placed the tray on the coffee table so everyone could grab a glass. Sora had been drinking the damn concoction for days now after he tried on when Leon bought home a carton the other week. He was absolutely obsessed with it.   
"Speaking of time, aren't you two going to spend time with your families for Christmas?" Roxas asked.  
"Nah, we never do. We just send them their gifts through the mail ahead of time and we video chat them the morning of," Cloud said. He and Leon had been doing that since they got married as they were both now far away from their respective relatives. It was just easier to do it that way.   
"Not to mentione we have a guest in the house this year. We didn't want to leave Sora by himself on Christmas. It didn't seem right," Leon added. Sora smiled, as he appreciated the consideration for him.   
"However, there's the concern about new years" Cloud said, "My family has a tradition of being together to bring in the new year. And this year happens to be the first year Leon can actually come with me."   
"But Sora is here, so it's perfectly fine if I don't go," Leon said. Sora frowned.  
"Don't stay here because of me! I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. I want you guys to enjoy the holiday with your family," Sora whined, actually upset. He's felt like a burden since he arrived, and even though Cloud and Leon say he's not, it doesn't make the feeling going away. Even though the idea of being alone in the house terrifies him he would rather not get in their way.   
"Sora can always just stay at my house," Ventus said. Everyone turned towards the tiny blonde on the armchair in surprise. Ventus quirked an eyebrow.  
"What?" Ventus said as if the answer was obvious, "It's the only logical thing to do. I don't spend the new years with my parents and my house is also the only one Sora's been to since I don't have other people living with me to explain matters to. It just makes sense."  
"That is true," Cloud said, turning to Leon.  
"We got that, what we don't get is you willingly offering your house," Axel laughed. Ventus glared.  
"That's because this time I'm actually offering. Besides, we all spend new years at my house every year, does it really make a difference? Either way, Sora won't be alone," Ventus shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't understand why everyone was so shocked by his offer. It was literally the only logical thing to do.   
"Only thing I have to do is actually remember somebody else is in my house so I can't just come and go as I please," Ventus even joked.   
Vanitas was probably the most shocked out of everyone. Ventus never offers his assistance, at least as of late for the past year. And to Sora no less? Vanitas was still fairly certain that Ventus was damn jealous of his cousin, so why would he let him stay with him? Maybe Vanitas was wrong. Maybe Ventus actually learned to like Sora.  
He has been at least talking to him, just barely, but it's more than what he's done to Vanitas since he got back from his parents. When Vanitas picked him up from the airport that night, Ventus completely ignored him, only answering him when absolutely necessary. He's been ghosting his text messeages and he hasn't said a word to him since they got to Sora's house. Vanitas had a feeling that this had something to do with him hanging up on Ventus that night, but he wasn't about to let Ventus's petty attitude ruin the holidays for him. If Ventus wanted to ignore him then that was on him.  
That didn't mean it didn't bother Vanitas to the very core though.   
"Thank you for offering, Ventus," Leon smiled. Ventus nodded and went back to his phone. Sora smiled in delight. If Ventus was in a good mood to offer his assistance, then that must mean that he was in a better mood than he was when he arrived. Maybe he and Vanitas were texting each other right now. Either way, Sora was happy. Ventus was finally opening up to someone.   
\---  
"So what was that all about?" Vanitas asked as he and Ventus got into the car. Ventus didn't look at him, per recent usual, but Vanitas saw his face scrunch up in confusion.  
"What was what all about?" Ventus asked.  
"You telling Cloud and Leon that Sora could stay over your house during new years week," Vanitas replied.   
"Are you serious? I already told you, it was the only logical solution," Ventus said, confused as to why Vanitas was bringing this up.   
"What's the real reason?" Vanitas asked. He didn't believe this for one second.  
"What other reason would I possibly have to want Sora at my house?" Ventus asked, finally facing him. He was getting irritated with this useless conversation.  
"Oh, look, you're actually looking at me" Vanitas feigned surprise, "You don't like my cousin."  
"I never said that. You assumed that because you think I'm jealous of him, which I'm not," Ventus said, narrowing his eyes. Vanitas rolled his.  
"Oh please, you hardly ever speak to Sora. Everyone can be involved in the same conversation and you will not say a single word to Sora unless you absolutely have to," Vanitas said.  
"Wrong again. Sora literally texts me every day. I talk to him more through text than actual talking. That was his thing, not mine. Just because I don't talk to Sora on a regular basis verbally like the rest of you doesn't mean I don't like him," Ventus said, turning away from Vanitas.   
"That's not-you know what? Nevermind. Forget it. I really don't want to do this right now," Vanitas said, starting the car.  
"Doing what?"  
"Arguing with you. Not up for it," Vanitas said as he finally pulled out of the parking spot.   
"Neither do I," Ventus said, staring out the window. For once they agreed on something.   
"Can I ask you something?" Vanitas asked. Ventus sighed, seeing as Vanitas was going to ask him anyway regardless of his answer.  
"What?" Ventus asked.  
"You're being really distant with me," Vanitas said.  
"I'm distant with all of you," Ventus replied.  
"I mean more than what's considered normal, even for you. You've been like that since I picked you up from the airport" Vanitas said, "Does this have anything to do with me hanging up the phone that night?"  
Ventus body physically stiffened as that night came flooding back to him. Seeing one of his rapists. The note. Him calling Vanitas. Ending the night with more slits to the wrist. Ventus locked his jaw tightly. The night Vanitas failed at literally everything. There he was, ready to finally confess to what he's been hiding this entire time because he really needed Vanitas. And the fucker had hung up on him. For Sora. Ventus remembered that night very well.   
"Don't worry about it" Ventus forced out between his lips, "It was just a panic attack."  
Vanitas hit the brakes hard on the car, causing the vehicle to jerk painfully at the red light.   
"What?!" Vanitas practically yelled.   
"It's fine, Vanitas," Ventus said. It really wasn't fine, but that didn't matter anymore.   
"The hell it is, are you serious?! Are you okay?" Vanitas asked. Ventus hadn't had a panic attack in two years, and before that he used to have them a lot and they were always tragic to witness. Vanitas worried about his best friend all the time during those years. Anything as simple as fireworks used to set him off. That's why the boys spend new years at his house instead of going outside.   
"Calm down, Vanitas. It last like three seconds and it went away almost immediately after I called you," Ventus said.  
"What the hell caused it?" Vanitas asked. Ventus shrugged.   
"I'm not sure. But it was nothing. I promise," Ventus said as he looked out the window. That night was all but nothing, but it was too late for Vanitas to try and fix it now. Ventus needed him and he wasn't there even after he promised he would be. Ventus wasn't going to play victim to it anymore, no matter how much in love he still was with his best friend. He would not shed another tear over Vanitas.   
He just wished his wrists would stop itching.

Christmas Morning  
Sora had actually never felt so excited waking up. He felt like a little kid waking up on their birthday knowing that they were going to get cake and ice cream and gifts all day long. He yawned happily as he stretched and climbed out of bed. Sora looked around the room with a grateful smile on his face. A year ago on this day he was sitting on a mattress, chained to the bedposts with a man waking him up by brutally shoving his cock inside him as a 'christmas' morning gift. It happened like that every year since the man had begun to sexually assault him. He never bought him gifts or treated him nice for the holiday. If anything he was even meaner on the holidays, just to prove that Sora didn't deserve to have a good holiday.   
But now he was in his own room, where the drawers weren't filled with dildos and cock rings and whips and belts. He wasn't sitting there thinking how long he had to get up and attempt to clean before the man got back from work. He was living with two impossibly sweet people who had taken care of him when he doesn't deserve it, and he couldn't be more grateful. He had a group of friends who tolerated him, and he had his beloved cousin. Sora was enjoying the haze he was in, and now Riku was added to the picture.   
That thought made him frown a bit. He still hadn't given Riku an answer. And Sora everything would be over with Riku if Riku ever found out the truth. But he wasn't going to think about that. He remembered what Cloud and Leon said yesterday. Everything was built. And it was his choice.  
Sora looked out the window. It had snowed the night before so the ground was covered in a beautiful coat of white snow. Sora wished it was snowing right now, but the nice after picture was good enough. He smiled to himself. He had made his decision.   
Sora came downstairs to find Cloud and Leon in the kitchen, blasting Christmas music on the stereo as the two of them made breakfast. Sora peeked inside, not annoucing his presence as he watched the couple. It looked like Cloud was making pancakes and Leon was doing more singing and dancing than actually helping make breakfast. He watched as Leon sang some lyrics to Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You and he kissed Cloud on the cheek lovingly. Cloud playfully pushed him away with the spatula, but he let Leon come back and kiss him on the lips anyway. Sora liked seeing this as he didn't see it much when they were around him, as they were probably not trying to make him uncomfortable, but Sora didn't mind in the least. After all, Roxas and Axel did PDA all the time, he was used to it. Sora doesn't know why but his mind flew to the tea shop that day when he and Riku kissed for the first time, and he felt his skin catch fire as he remembered the soft feel of Riku's lips against his own.   
Oh yeah, he definitely had his answer now.   
Just as Leon was getting a little too into it, Sora lightly knocked on the entryway frame, making both Leon and Cloud jump in surprise.  
"Good morning. Merry Christmas," Leon said happily.  
"Merry Christmas. Sorry if I disturbed you," Sora giggled. Cloud shook his head as he put the last pancake on the huge pile he had already made.  
"Please, you saved me from him. Merry Christmas," Cloud said, taking off the apron and throwing the spatula in the sink with the rest of the dishes.  
"You guys are still in your pajamas," Sora said, just now noticing it.  
"Yeah, we don't get dressed on Christmas day. Feel free to do the same, just make sure you take a shower at some point tonight," Leon said.  
"Did you open your gifts?" Cloud asked.  
"Huh?" Sora asked, confused. The only gift he was aware of was Riku's.  
"Did you look in the living room?" Leon asked, almost laughing. Sora blinked, realizing he completely bi-passed the living room and went back to check. When he looked under the christmas tree, he gasped as he realized the amount of gifts under the tree. They weren't the ones he and Cloud had wrapped days before (Leon can't wrap for anything), and a lot of them were addressed to Sora.  
"When did...?" Sora didn't finish his answer,his mouth hanging open.  
"The boys snuck them in two days ago. We were hiding them in our closet since you never go in our room. Some of those are from us as well," Cloud said.  
"They got all that for me?" Sora asked, completely stunned. He was fine with giving gifts, but he hadn't expected to get gifts in return. He didn't deserve them!   
"Yeah. So get to it," Leon said. Sora sniffled quite loudly, the utter shock of receiving gifts from his friends too much for him to handle and the tears slipped out before he could stop them. Cloud hugged him to his side.  
"Don't cry, Sora! It's Christmas," Cloud laughed. Sora laughed himself and he hiccupped as he wiped his tears.  
"Sorry. I couldn't control that" Sora said, "Oh! Wait!"   
Sora bent down under the tree and grabbed two wrapped boxes sitting on the side. He turned around and held them out for Cloud and Leon.  
"Merry Christmas!" Sora said happily. Now it was Cloud and Leon's turn to be shocked. They hadn't thought Sora had bought them gifts.Sora shrugged in embarrassment.  
"I live with you. It felt wrong not to," Sora said. The married couple took the gifts smiling and thanked Sora before opening them. When Cloud realized what his was, he sighed happily.  
"Relief at last!" Cloud laughed as he unwrapped his electric blanket.  
"You're always saying you're cold so I thought that would help. It was Vanitas who suggested it," Sora said.  
"Good. Nice to know somebody is paying attention to me," Cloud said, playfully glaring at Leon.   
"Oh, Sora, you just gave me Cloud's worst nightmare," Leon chuckled as he pulled the gift out of the box. It was an exclusive edition of Frank Sinatra's most famous hits. Cloud rolled his eyes.  
"Oh Lord, I'm not getting in the car with you for the rest of our days," Cloud warned.   
"I'm happy you like them," Sora said. Cloud and Leon hugged the little brunette.  
"Thank you. Now you get to unwrapping. We're going to finish making breakfast," Leon said, slightly pushing Sora back towards the tree. As the two went back into the kitchen, Sora sat on the floor, not really sure where he should start. He honestly hadn't expected them to do this, as he was only aware of Riku's gift. He stared at the tiny box, and decided to put it aside. He was kind of afraid to open it. But he also wanted to open it last since it was the first one he got. He grabbed the first box next to it addressed to him and began unwrapping it. The first one was from Demyx, and it was a pair of goggles for Sora to go swimming with. Demyx even left a note saying that once he's used to the ocean, they're going scuba diving, which made Sora laugh. That boy loved water.   
Sora continued opening the gifts, not believing that any of the guys should've done this. A 1500 piece puzzle from Roxas, a figurine of Arnold from Hey Arnold from Axel (Axel did not understand why Sora was so obsessed with that show), and Sora was even surprised to see a gift from Zexion. It was a leather bound edition of Shakespeare plays. Sora guessed that when Zexion found out Sora was adapt at reading and understanding Shakespeare, he couldn't help himself. He was even more surprised when he found a gift under the tree for him from Ventus. It was stress coloring book for adults. Sora never had a coloring book, and Ventus even bought him some Faber Castel non bleed markers to go with it. Sora smiled to himself. He had a feeling he was going to enjoy coloring.   
He opened Vanitas's gift next and he stared in awe at it. It was a photo album. The front cover was the two of them as little kids, the picture Vanitas had in his wallet of Sora trying to put the lizard in Vanitas's hair. There was a note attached to the front page, and it told Sora that he could make memories for himself now, and stop taking up space on Vanitas's phone. Sora laughed out loud at that.  
As he was opening the ones he got from Cloud and Leon (things he actually needed like socks, sneakers, and a music box Sora didn't know he needed until he opened it in excitment), he felt his phone in his pocket buzzed. He looked and it was a text message from Riku, asking if he could call him. Sra replies yes, smiling to himself. His phone buzzes and he slides it to answer.  
"Hey," Sora said.  
"This is going to sound really cheesy, but I honestly just wanted to call you to wish you a Merry Christmas," Riku said. Sora giggled and Riku smiled. That damn giggle.   
"Merry Christmas. Aren't you supposed to be spending time with your family?" Sora asked.  
"I am. I am currently in charge of the dance battle that is happening between my younger cousins. I'm having a tough time deciding who's the best. They got some moves," Riku chuckled.   
"Sounds hard," Sora said.  
"Hey, did you open your gift?" Riku asked.  
"Huh? Oh. Uh, not yet," Sora said, almost forgetting about Riku's gift.  
"Open it. I think you'll like it," Riku said.  
"I will. But Riku, I have my answer if you want to hear it," Sora forced out. He could feel his heart sped up. What if he took too long and Riku no loner cares.  
"Oh?" Riku said, completely intrigued. He had expected at least another week before Sora would respond. Good god, he didn't know what he would do if the boy decided he couldn't do it.  
"It's yes. The answer is yes," Sora said, cutting straight to the point. Riku's jaw dropped.  
"Wait, seriously? It's a yes?" Riku asked, making sure he heard him right. Did he just get his wish?  
"Yes, I'll go out with you," Sora said after nodding realizing that Riku can't see it. Riku closed his eyes and thanked the gods. All his efforts were not to waste. His face hurt a bit from trying to hold back his smile so his cousins wouldn't get nosy.   
"That...is really good to hear. And that totally makes up for you not getting me a gift," Riku said. He was over the moon right now. Sora was his boyfriend. Vanitas could suck it!   
"Good because I still felt bad about that. But get back to your cousins. And Merry Christmas," Sora said.   
"Thanks. Open your gift!" Riku said again before hanging up, leaning back on the couch peacefully. He wasn't even focused on the battle anymore. He didn't care who won. He had won the ultimate prize.   
Sora stared at Riku's box happily now, and he carefully untied the ribbon on the box and let it fall off. He opened the box, and his mouth dropped in amazement at what was inside. He lifted it up carefully out of the box. It was a chain necklace, and the at the end of it was a silver crown with the inscription of the word 'sky' on it, which is what Sora's name meant in Japanese. Sora didn't know if Riku knew that part or not, but he was incredibly happy about the gift. He couldn't stop staring at. It was so shiny, and it looked beautiful. Sora immediately put it on, enjoying the cool touch it had on his neck. He stared at the crown again and smiled. He hoped Riku didn't spend a fortune on this necklace. But now that he thought about it, he must have. The piece was far too nice, and it was nicer than anything Sora ever earned. Hell, the piece was worth more than Sora. He didn't deserve this. This necklace was made for beautiful people to possess. Sora was a slut.  
With a frown, Sora took the necklace off and placed it back in the box under the tree.

_Sorry for the delay but I was busy! But don't worry, I have the next three chapters lined up already to type and let me tell you, for all you Ventus fans, you're not ready for what's coming. Next chapter is Sora's first night at Ventus's house. How will it go? And how will Vanitas react once he finds out that Riku and Sora are officially a couple? And how will Sora handle being in a relationship? And dun dun dun, Uncle Xemnas makes another appearance. Does he believe Sora left the state? All this in the next chapter with some adorable sweetness of Soriku. Stay tuned! Poof!_


	31. Initiative Action

Initiative Action

_I don't own these characters. This fic is purely for fun. I make no profit from it._

  
"You got everything you need? You didn't forget anything?" Cloud asked as he took Sora's suitcase out of the trunk. It was three days past Christmas and they were making the transition for Sora to stay at Ventus's house. They decided that it would easier for Sora to adjust if he went a few days before New Years, and that way Cloud and Leon could take the longer drive to their relatives instead of just flying out a short distance. Sora was actually kind of excited about staying with Ventus, as he just considered it one long sleepover, and he's never had one of those that wasn't at Cloud and Leon's house. But he thought the suitcase was a bit unecessary. He wasn't staying for that long, only a few days.  
"I've got everything," Sora said as he pulled the duffel bag off the ground, not wanting the snow to soak through it. Cloud closed the trunk.  
"You sure you okay with staying here? Leon is still up for staying here with you for New Years," Cloud said.  
"No, you guys go enjoy time with your family. I already stole you for Christmas," Sora smiled. He still felt a little guilty about that, but it was something that he was just going to have to live with.   
"If you insist," Cloud said before walking Sora to the door. Ventus had heard the car pull and was already waiting at the door, holding it open.  
"Hey, Ventus, thanks again for letting Sora stay with you. We really appreciate it," Cloud said. Ventus shrugged.  
"It's no big deal. Besides, I could use the company once in a while," Ventus said. Ventus knew that this was a complete lie. He honestly didn't want Sora there. It wasn't because he didn't like him, it more because Sora knew about his cutting and he didn't want Sora trying to dig into anything related to that.   
He watched as Cloud hugged Sora before saluting them both and getting into the car, driving away. Ventus closes the door as Sora brings his suitcase inside.  
"Vanitas and the others should be here soon. Is Riku coming too?" Ventus as he helped Sora get his suitcase up the stairs. What the hell did Cloud pack in this thing?  
"I believe so. He said he was at least," Sora said.   
"Well" Ventus said as they made it to the top of the stairs, "There are three guest bedrooms and they're all labeled. You can pick anyone that you want, just let me know which one-"   
Ventus was cut off from what he was saying when Sora suddenly wrapped him in a hug.  
"I know Cloud already said it, but thanks," Sora said, letting go. Ventus rolled his eyes this time.   
"I already said it was fine," Ventus said, going back down the stairs, a little agitated. Why the hell was everyone acting like this was some milestone or something? It was just a damn offer. He was getting tired of everyone's surprise at his offer of generosity.   
Sora honestly didn't really know which guest bedroom to pick so he just picked the first one that he came across. It looked rather nice. The walls were painted a pale lavender color and the bed was a queen size. There was a walk in closet as well, and one dark brown dresser on each side of the bed. It was rather simple, and Sora liked that. He placed his stuff on the bed and next to it on the floor before he made his way to the bathroom.  
When he opened the door, Sora froze in horror.  
Ther bathroom was almost spotless, if not for the slightly stained razor blade sitting on the soap dish above the sink.   
Sora's heart sank. He thought Ventus was talking it out with Vanitas, why was he still cutting? Maybe Sora was wrong? But that couldn't be right either, Vanitas had said that he and Ventus were working it out, and that they were better than before. So why would Ventus still find the need to cut? Sora thought back to Christmas Eve, and the sad attitude Ventus seemed to have had during that time. But what happened? And why didn't he tell Vanitas about it?   
Sora tried to ignore the slightly disappointed feeling he had as he went back downstairs, and he noticed that Vanitas and Demyx had arrived as he saw their jackets hanging from the coat rack near the door. Vanitas, catching Sora's odd facial expression, went over to his cousin.  
"Hey you alright?" Vanitas asked. Sora blinked.  
"Huh?Yeah, I was just thinking about something," Sora said abesntmindedly.  
"Hey, you good about staying here with Ventus? I know he isn't exactly the talkative one out of the bunch," Vanitas said. Sora laughed.  
"Yes, I'm okay. I'm actually kind of curious to see how Ventus spends his days in this huge house by himself," Sora shrugged.   
"If you say so," Vanitas said. The doorbell rang and Sora went to go answer it before Vanitas could. He knew he technically wasn't supposed to answer the door but he figured since this wasn't his house that he should be okay. He opened the door to find Riku who smiled brightly when he saw him.  
"Hey," Sora said, moving aside so he could come in.   
"I'm being crazy but I need to hear it in person. It was a yes, right?" Riku asked. Sora giggled.  
"Yes, it's a yes. Are you satisfied?" Sora asked.   
"What's a yes?" Vanitas asked as Sora closed the door.   
"This," Riku said. Before Sora actually had time to process what was going on, Riku had grabbed him gently and kissed him straight on the mouth. Sora was dazed for a moment when Riku released him, and he rubbed his cheeks furiously as the blush began ablaze. Riku looked over at Vanitas with a victorious smirk as Vanitas's tried his utter best to control the snarl that was threatening to come through his nostrils.   
"When the fuck did this happen?" Vanitas asked through gritted teeth.  
"Christmas technically" Sora said after making his skin go back to its regular color, "Vanitas, don't be mad. I talked to Cloud and Leon before I made the decision, and I'm quite sure of it. So can you play nice? Please?"   
Sora gave him a pout that he knew would render Vanitas to bend to his will. Vanitas stared daggers at Riku. He didn't like this situation by any means, but he wasn't going to hurt his cousin's feelings by being a huge dick about it. That didn't mean he had to like it, but he will play nice. For Sora's sake.  
"You hurt him, you die," Vanitas threatened. Riku saluted him.  
"I'll help you bury myself," Riku said, making Sora giggle and Riku internally hummed. What was up with him and that damn giggle?   
"I'm going to go help Ventus with dinner," Vanitas said, but his eyes never left Riku until he absolutely had to turn around to walk into the kitchen.   
"Was he like that with everyone when he first met them?" Riku asked. Sora shrugged.  
"I'm not sure. I met them after," Sora said.   
"Your house looked pretty dark when I was driving over here. Are Cloud and Leon here too?" Riku asked. Sora shook his head.  
"Cloud and Leon are visiting relatives for the new years so I'm staying with Ventus until they come back," Sora replied. Riku quirked an eyebrow.  
"Why didn't you go with them? You're family," Riku said. Sora's eyes widened as he realized his slip up. He had almost forgotten that he told Riku Cloud and Leon were his uncles.  
"Uh, well they're going to Leon's side of the family and I don't really like them all that much. It's a bit uncomfortable being there. Vanitas feels the same which is why he didn't go either," Sora said, and he made a mental note to relay that message to Vanitas. By Sora's lie, Vanitas was technically related to Cloud and Leon as well.   
"I can understand that. It's like that with my mom's grandpa's side of the family. They're all very conservative and having a phone over there is like a sin," Riku said. Sora laughed. Riku turned towards the couch only to find Demyx over there, who hadn't said hello.  
"He good?" Riku asked.  
"Hm? Oh, I think he's talking to Zexion. Vanitas said he's been on the phone since they got into the car," Sora said. Ventus and Vanitas come back into the living room as Riku and Sora are sitting down.   
"Hey Ventus," Riku said.   
"Hi," Ventus greeted plainly.   
"I heard Sora is staying with you for the holidays," Riku said. Ventus rolled his eyes.  
"Oh yes, my supposedly charitable act of kindness that everyone seems to think is beyond me," Ventus said.   
"Because it is," Demyx called before going back to his own conversation.   
"Vanitas, we need make more stew, I just realized I didn't make enough for Axel's obscene apetite," Ventus said, going back into the kitchen. Vanitas scoffed but he followed him.  
"Let him starve then, it's not he's not going to go eat a snack ten minutes after anway."  
\---  
By the time Axel and Roxas actually arrived, the second pot of stew was almost done. Demyx had finally gotten off the phone and he, Riku and Sora were currently playing Mario Party. Axel grabbed Riku into a headlock, making him lose.  
"Damnnit, Axel!" Riku exclaimed.  
"What? I had to give you a congratulation nudge on finally managing to piss Vanitas off and him not being able to do anything about it," Axel laughed.  
"What?" Sora asked as he pushed Demyx's character off the platform, making him the winner.  
"Dating you," Axel said bluntly. Sora blushed and he looked at Riku. Riku grinned sheepishly.  
"Oh yeah, sorry, I told Axel almost immediately after that dance battle was over. I was happy. Sue me," Riku smiled, winking at Sora who turned away to hide the increasing temperature migrating to his ears.   
"I didn't find out until this morning. I was going to wait to ask you but I got really anxious," Roxas admitted.   
\---  
"Should we go greet the couple?" Ventus asked as he was stirring the rice.  
"No, they not that special," Vanitas grumbled, angrily chopping a carrot.  
"You've been angrily assaulting everything since you've come back in here. What's up?" Ventus asked. This was beyond Vanitas's normal behavior and Ventus already had a feeling Sora was involved in it. It's not it was over Ventus.   
"Apparently the fucker known as Riku has managed to snag Sora. The two of them are officially dating," Vanitas said.  
"And that's...bad?" Ventus asked.  
"Yes, it's bad," Vanitas exclaimed.  
"Is it bad because Riku's not right for Sora, or is it bad because you don't like Riku?" Ventus asked.  
"It's bad because of everything. I don't want anyone dating my cousin," Vanitas admitted. Ventus blinked. This was news, even to him.  
"Why not?" Ventus asked.  
"Because he's literally not ready for that. He's been through a lot, and I don't want him jumping onto the first person that shows him affection," Vanitas said.  
"If that were the case, Vanitas, he would've tried to date Roxas. He was the nicest to him out of all of us before you and I showed up," Ventus pointed out.   
"He's still not ready. And he barely knows Riku from a can of paint," Vanitas said.   
"I didn't know you from a can of paint when you declared across the playground that I was your best friend. I think the same applie here. Besides, Vanitas, nobody is ever really ready when it comes to dating. It just happens," Ventus shrugged. He wanted Vanitas to calm down. Ventus was pretty certain that Sora was going to be okay. Riku didn't seem like an asshole.   
"Maybe Sora having a boyfriend is a good thing," Ventus added. Vanitas whipped his head in his friend's direction. What?  
"And how is that a good thing?" Vanitas asked.   
"Well, think about it. Sora's only ever know bad suffering from anything involving being involved with another guy. So he doesn't know any proper attention when it comes to actually being in a relationship. I'm not saying he and Riku will last forever, but maybe Riku can be the first step in helping Sora feel more comfortable with affection again," Ventus said. Ventus only hoped what he was saying was true. When he was attacked, it didn't make him hate sex or men for that matter. It was the lack of humanity that went into the violent act that made him upset. And it only escalated when the people who he was supposed to trust and confide in didn't want to listen to him did his downward spiral begin to spin. They were listening to Sora.   
Vanitas chewed on the inside of his cheek in thought. In theory, Ventus was right, as this was going to happen in Sora's life eventually. But why did it have to be Riku? There was just something about Riku that Vanitas didn't like, like Riku was almost too perfect for Sora. He couldn't place his foot on it, but he knew most of his defense was coming from the fact that he wasn't ready to lose his cousin to somebody else. Not again.   
"Not to mention you don't really have a choice. It's Sora's decision, not yours," Ventus added. Vanitas sighed in defeat.  
"I hate it when you're right," Vanitas said. It was silence for a minute as Ventus turned the stove off at last and went to find the utensils. Vanitas turned towards him.  
"You know, this is probably the most you've said to me since you got back," Vanitas said. Ventus paused for a moment but didn't answer him as he continued to grab utensils. He went to get the bowls from the cabinet when Vanita placed a hand on the door, blocking it from opening.  
"What are you doing?" Ventus asked.   
"Look, I knwo you said it wasn't a big deal, but I feel like you're lying so let me say this, alright? I am sorry about hanging up on you that night. But Sora was having a nightmare and I had to go attend to him. I was going to call you back, I really was, but it took longer than necessary. I'm sorry, okay?" Vanitas said. Ventus looked at him for a moment, and he wasn't sure if he should be happy, mad, or relieved. This kept happening. Every time Ventus was fuming at Vanitas about something Vanitas did intentionally or unintentionally, here was Vanitas sincerely apologizing afterwards, even if he didn't know how wrong he really was. Ventus couldn't help but be a little happy about that. But this was also why he couldn't get over his damn feelings. They evolved past his will to change them.  
"Thanks for the apology, but I promise you it was nothing," Ventus said, trying to sound as neutral as he could. He had really wanted it to be nothing that night, but he would be lying if he didn't say that he too had recently had a nightmare about that night. Vanitas never showed in the dream sequence either, how ironic. Ventus moved Vanitas's hand out of the way so he could get to the bowls.  
Vanitas only felt slightly better. While he finally properly apologized for it, something was still telling him that Ventus was more pissed about the incident than he was letting on, and he really hoped his feelings were wrong because he and Ventus had made a pact to be more honest with each other from then on.  
So why did Vanitas have a feeling that he screwd up big time?  
\---  
"Axel, I will never understand how you eat so much and never get fat," Roxas said, shaking his head as he put his coat on along with Axel and Demyx and Vanitas. The group was leaving for tonight, and honestly Sora was little glad for it. He was actually really tired.   
"That's because I burn it off screwing you into the mattress. Easy math," Axel laughed before he got a hard punch to the shoulder, "Ow! Rox, that actually hurt."  
"Good, it was supposed to," Roxas said as he threw Axel's keys to him, "Night, Sora."  
"Goodnight," Sora said to all of them as they headed out. Vanitas paused at the door.  
"You sure you okay sleeping over here with Ventus?" Vanitas asked one last time. Sora nodded.   
"Yeah. It'll give us a chance to talk," Sora said happily.  
"You know, Ventus said that you text him every day," Vanitas said. Sora nodded.  
"I do. But I just get worried about him sometimes so I just text him to make sure he's okay, like you do with me and him too," Sora said. To Vanitas, that was a like a stab to the stomach. He most certainly didn't text Ventus on a daily basis just to check up on him. To Sora, yes, but not to Ventus. But he didn't need to. Ventus would call him if he really needed him. Sora was a different story.   
"Alright. I'll be spending the night tomorrow night, so try not to kill each other until I come back," Vanitas said, waving goodbye as he got into his car and pulled out of the parking lot. Sora looked and realized that Riku's car was still there. Wait, Riku was still here? Where was he?  
"At last! I have found my damn phone! I'm going to kill Axel for throwing it somewhere," Riku said, coming upstairs from the basement. Axel had hidden his phone earlier and had refused to tell the silverette where the phone was.   
"He hid your phone?" Sora asked.  
"I'll get revenge for that," Riku smirked.   
"Hey, uh...Riku, about earlier...with that kiss," Sora trailed off.  
"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that?" Riku said. Sora blinked.   
"What?" Sora asked.  
"I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that. I only wanted to piss off Vanitas and it was the first thing I thought of. Don't worry, I won't kiss you suddenly anymore without a warning," Riku promised. Sora was a little taken aback. He wasn't going to complain about it at all. He was actually just going to tell Riku that he hit his teeth a little bit. But that didn't really matter now. Sora smiled a little. There would be signs next time. Truth be told, he was a little scared at first when Riku did it, but that didn't mean he didn't like it.  
"Oh. Um, it's okay. Thanks," Sora said, unsure of what to actually say, "It's not that I didn't like it, I just wasn't expecting it is all. I'm not quite used to the affection."  
"Well, we're taking this at your pace, so don't worry about it," Riku said, ignoring what Sora said last. He was beginning to become highly aware of that, especially seeing as it was very clear by this point that Sora was in a past abusive relationship.   
"Did you open your gift?" Riku asked, suddenly remembering it.  
"Oh! Yes, I did. I loved it! It's beautiful," Sora smiled. Riku quirked an eyebrow.  
"You aren't wearing it. Any particular reason?" Riku asked. Sora looked down almost as if he's surprised that he's not wearing it. He knows exactly why he's not wearing it, but he can't let Riku know that.  
"I was afraid I was going to ruin it if I decided to wear it on a daily basis," Sora decided on. That part was at least true.   
"Not to put you in a tough spot, but since we're dating now, could do me a favor and wear it? For me?" Riku asked. He honestly wanted to see what Sora looked like with it on, and also because that was his way of labeling him as his, but he was afraid of telling Sora that part.   
Sora blushed despite himself. Riku actually wanted him to wear it? And for him no less? Did Riku honestly think he deserved such an elaborate gift? On the contrary, he did buy it for him, so maybe he could wear it. He nodded slowly.   
"But it'll have to wait until New Years is over. I left it at home," Sora said, which was also true. He didn't want to torture himself by staring at the piece of jewelry knowing he wasn't worthy of it.   
Riku smiled brightly at that.  
"That's fine. See you later," Riku said, and he leaned forward to kiss Sora on the forehead. Sora smiled a little. He liked it when Riku did that. That man never did that. It was something he didn't ruin.   
Riku waved goodbye as he headed out the door, and Sora closed the door only to hear a fake gagging sound come from the stairs. He turned around to find Ventus.  
"Vanitas has nothing to worry about. You two are so cookies and cream sweet you're giving me a toothache," Ventus said. Sora's eyes widened as he realized that Ventus had overheard the conversation.   
"Um, do you need help cleaning up in the kitchen?" Sora asked, changing the subject immediately. Ventus shook his head.  
"The dishes are in the dish washer and Vanitas and I cleaned up the rest while you were all eating. Oh yeah, here," Ventus said, tossing something at Sora who almost didn't catch it. He looked in his hand and it was a key.  
"That's the key to the front door. It opens the back door too but not all the time. I have to get a new key for that one," Ventus explained. Sora nodded, putting it in his pocket for now.   
"I'm going up for the night. Feel free to do whatever, just be quiet about it," Ventus said, going back up the stairs. Sora followed in suit.  
"I'm actually pretty tired myself so I think I'll go to bed too," Sora said, stretching as he turned off the downstairs lights when they reached the top, "Hey Ventus?"  
"What?" Ventus asked.  
"Is something the matter?" Sora asked. Ventus quirked an eyebrow.  
"No, why would there be?" Ventus asked.   
"Nothing...it's just that...I saw-I saw the razor in...the bathroom earlier," Sora said, unsure of how Ventus would react. Ventus's eyes widened and he mentally slapped himself. How the hell had he been that stupid to have left the razor sittting in plain sight? He was lucky, not really, that it was only Sora who had seen it and not Vanitas or any of the others. Ventus turned away from Sora in the direction of his room.  
"Sora, don't take this the wrong way, but don't ask me about that. And please do your uttermost to stay out of it, okay?" Ventus said, already walking away to his bedroom. Sora frowned, taking that as his cue for goodnight, and he walked the other way, disappointed. Maybe Vanitas should've spent the night this night, then maybe Ventus wouldn't be so bad.   
\---  
It was past midnight and Riku had yet to go to bed. He was still overjoyed at the fact that Sora was actually his boyfriend. He mentally patted himself on the back. He worked hard for that indeed. Riku found it a little weird that he was this excited. He was never this elated about his two prior relationships, but then he thought about Sora blushing and he decided that he didn't care. Besides, they were taking the relationship at Sora's pace. The younger one was holding the reins, even if he wasn't aware of it. Riku wasn't going to push, or at least he would try not to. He actually kind of thanked the person before him who dated Sora, because now he had given Riku the opportunity to show Sora what a real relationship is like.  
\---  
Down the hall from Riku, about two doors down, Xemnas sat in the guest room, on his laptop talking to his henchman who was failing his mission horribly.   
"You're sure you checked every single place?" Xemnas asked.   
"Yes, sir. None of them have seen the kid," the man said. It was the man in the black cloak who Leon had ran into that day. He was currently in Michigan, and had scouted out all the homeless shelters available to runaways. Xemnas scowled.  
"You idiot. I told you check every place where homeless people go," Xemnas said.  
"I did, sir," the man said, confused.  
"You moron, that includes orphanages! That slut looks younger than he is. He's still a minor, he could be at an orphanage," Xemnas said, angry at this stupid henchman. His other man had already checked the ones that were available in the city. None of them had seen Sora. Xemnas was quite impressed that the kid had managed to make it out of the city, but there's no way he could've gotten that far.   
"And check the police reports again. I want a thorough imprint of every child coming through the system. He could've easily slipped through the cracks," Xemnas said.  
"Yes, sir," the man said before signing off. Xemnas leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples. This hunt was really pissing him off. That kid had to have had help. Xemnas saw the ropes. They were cut, and the kid didn't have the strength to do it himself, not at that angle with a blade.   
"Just wait until I find you, you little slut" Xemnas growled, "You're going to wish I had killed you along with your parents by the time I'm through with you."

  
_And that's it for this chatpter! Apologies if it's a little slow, but I had to use this filler so the next chapter would make more sense. Still warning all the Ventus fans, you're in for it in a couple of chapters. Will Xemnas find Sora? Will Riku find out what his uncle is up to? Next chapter, Ventus is put under the spotlight by Axel and it does not end well for anybody. A chain of arguments set off, how will it end for everybody? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	32. Words Of Chaos

Words of Chaos

_I don't own the characters or rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This fic is purely for fun!_

  
December 30th  
"How's everything going over there?" Cloud asked over video chat. Sora was currently on his phone, talking to Cloud and Leon through a video chat. They had managed to escape Cloud's family for at least an hour and wanted to check in on Sora.   
"I'm doing fine. It's been okay staying over here with Ventus," Sora replied, "Ventus only forgot I was here once. He came back from the store and jumped when he walked into the kitchen and saw me. It was funny."  
"Well, I'm glad to hear you two are getting along," Cloud said.  
"Yeah. He can cook too! Vanitas always says that Ventus can't cook but I disagree. He even taught me how to make rice balls yesterday," Sora smiled.  
"Vanitas doesn't like anyone's cooking but his own" Leon said, "Hey, we just wanted to let you know that we'll be home the day after new years. There was a slight emergency here that we didn't exactly plan on."  
"Oh no, is everything alright?" Sora asked, worried.  
"Nothing big. Just a little family dispute," Cloud said, "Which we should probably get back to. They'll be expecting Jason home soon."  
"Bye Sora!" Leon said. Sora said bye and waved at the screen before Cloud disconnected the call. Sora sat back on the couch and smiled. Aside from the little incidents, and there were incidents, Sora actually had a good time staying with Ventus. The boys came over a lot, and Sora had a feeling that they were checking up on him more than just wanting to be there to hang out. While Sora could understand their worry, it was just Ventus. He was distracted from his thoughts when the door opened, Vanitas coming in with Roxas and Axel in tow.  
"Look, all I'm saying is only couples have keys to each other's houses," Axel was saying as they were coming in.   
"Axel, what are you talking about? I still don't have a key to your house," Roxas said, glaring at his boyfriend.   
"You're not helping my case, babe," Axel said.  
"There is no case, you moron," Vanitas said, before turning to Sora who had come from the couch, "Hey, where's Ventus? Still upstairs?"  
"Ah, he went to the store a few minutes ago. Said he'll be right back, he forgot something," Sora said, remembering Ventus saying that when he was on the phone with Cloud and Leon not too long ago. Vanitas raised an eyebrow.  
"He left you by yourself?" Vanitas asked. Did Ventus seriously just leave Sora by himself?  
"Well he knew you guys were less than ten minutes away. Plus I was on the phone with Cloud and Leon and didn't want to hold him up" Sora explained, "But I'm fine. Besides, he probably needed some air since last night."  
"Why, what happened last night?" Vanitas asked.  
"I'm not sure. I overheard him talking to his parents in the dining room. Didn't sound too good," Sora frowned. Vanitas rolled his eyes. It obviously wasn't bad enough. Vanitas told Ventus to call him whenever he couldn't handle his parents. He must've been fine last night since he didn't recieve a phone call or a text message.   
"Ventus will be fine. No need for that face Sora, unfortunately, this happens all the time. Ventus's parents aren't exactly the most attentative type," Vanitas explained.  
"They didn't sound like it either," Sora said sadly. He had wanted to talk to Ventus about it last night but Ventus had ignored and went off to bed. Sora was a little afraid that he had went to go cut himself but he was relieved to find Ventus actually asleep when he snuck in his room ten minutes later to check on him. Maybe he called Vanitas last night?   
"It's fine. We're working on it," Vanitas said, and Sora smiled at that. So his previous assumptions were right after all. Vanitas and Ventus were talking about Ventus's problems. That was good news to Sora.   
Vanitas went outside and called Ventus while Sora went back to the living room with Roxas and Axel.   
"Hello?" Ventus asked.   
"Any particular reason you left Sora by himself in your house?" Vanitas asked, cutting straight to the point. He was honestly a little peeved about Ventus doing that, even if it was only for a few minutes. A lot can happen in a few minutes.   
"I went to the store? You were on your way, it's not a big deal. I'm literally around the corner. Sora's not a baby, he can take care of himself for ten minutes. And for the record, I asked him if he wanted to go but he was talking to Cloud and Leon so he opted out. Don't lecture me because I left your damn cousin in the house alone for ten minutes," Ventus immediately said, fully monologuing his defense against this. He honestly had a feeling that Vanitas was going to call over this bullshit if Ventus wasn't back by the time they got there.   
Vanitas sighed. Ventus was right, it technically wasn't a big deal, so in reality, he couldn't get mad at him for leaving his cousin by himself for less than ten minutes. And if he did indeed asked Sora to go and he said no, then there's really no fault and he should apologize for almost coming at Ventus.  
However, that thought went out the window the second 'damn cousin' flew out Ventus's mouth.   
"That 'damn cousin' is my cousin, you fucking smartass," Vanitas growled into the phone. He did not like that comment. Not at all.   
"For the love of God, you know that's not what I meant when I said it. Look, I'm thirty seconds from my house. Bye," Ventus said sourly before hanging up on Vanitas. Vanitas looked at the phone as if the phone itself offended him. What was up with Ventus's attitude? He was the one that decided to call Sora a 'damn cousin'. And he wonders why Vanitas thinks he doesn't like Sora. There was his proof right there.   
\---  
"If you guys make a mess, you're cleaning it yourselves," Ventus said as he sat on a stool at the end of the table.  
"Please, don't you have maids?" Axel asked.  
"I'm not trying to make their life difficult," Ventus replied.  
"I can vouch on that one. Having maids just makes you not want to make a mess. You feel bad for them having to clean it up," Riku said. Riku had came over sometime after 2pm, and after he, Axel and Demyx got into a dispute over watching a baking show, Axel had recommended that they have a little baking competition. So now all of them were currently in the kitchen, with only Ventus and Vanitas actually knowing how to make a cake. Axel, Riku, Roxas and Demyx were all making a cake from no knowledge whatsoever, but Ventus was kind enough to at least let them know the basic ingredients for it. Sora was to be the judge, as he had an extreme sweeth tooth. Vanitas and Ventus stayed out of it, but Vanitas was watching to make sure nobody accidentally poisoned anyone, and Ventus was making sure nobody burned his house down.   
"You guys should just let Ventus make them. He made pancakes the other day and they were delicious," Sora said.  
"You mean to tell me Ventus actually made breakfast for people?" Axel asked as he stirred the mixture in the bowl.   
"I have a guest. It's called hospitality," Ventus said as if it was obvious he would do that.   
"You know, that still surprises me. You letting Sora stay with you this long," Demyx laughed. Ventus rolled his eyes in annoyance.  
"Why the hell does everyone act like this is some grandoise gesture? All of you have said the same thing at least once to me and I honestly don't get it. What is the big deal?" Ventus asked.   
"Because everybody knows that you don't like Sora," Axel said rather bluntly.  
The room got quiet as everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Axel, who was staring back in confusion.  
"What?" Axel asked. Ventus narrowed his gaze at the red headed pyro.  
"And who exactly is everyone? I don't recall every saying that," Ventus said.   
"You don't have to say it, your attitude does enough. Even Vanitas called you out on it," Axel said.  
"Leave me out of this," Vanitas said immediately, going over to turn off the stove. He had a feeling that they didn't need to be preheated anymore. The atmosphere in the room had dropped significantly since Axel opened his mouth. And while Vanitas did agree with Axel, he wasn't about to put his voice into this conversation. It was rare that somebody else besides himself called out Ventus. This was a little entertaining to watch yet completely not the time for it.   
"My attitude has nothing to do with Sora. But since this seems to be a group effort, I'm curious. Who's currently standing in my house that thinks I don't like Sora?" Ventus asked, already irritated with the situation. He already knew that Vanitas thought it, but Vanitas only voiced it when they were alone. So where the fuck was everyone else coming from? And why the fuck was Axel even causing trouble by bringing it up?  
"Guys, let's not do this," Riku said, trying to diffuse the situation Axel's mouth has caused. This had to be uncomfortable for Sora who had gone quiet since the conversation started. Riku was scared to see his facial expression at the moment, so he didn't look.  
Ventus puts up his hand, stopping Riku. This was his house, he could do whatever he wanted. He stared directly at Axel.  
"So where did this idea come from?" Ventus asked Axel directly. Axel narrowed his eyes a bit, thinking that Ventus was challenging him right now. He was starting to get annoyed. If the blonde wanted a battle, he was more than willing to give it. Everyone had been quiet about this for far too long.   
"The idea came from reality. Face it, out of everyone in the group, even Riku, you talk to Sora probably the least, even when you are part of the conversation," Axel pointed out, a slightly dark tinge to his voice. Roxas looked at his boyfriend. That was never a good sign.   
"I'm like that to all of you. I've been like that," Ventus scoffed.  
"Yeah, that may be true but Sora didn't do anything for it. Actually, none of us in here except maybe Vanitas did anything to get introduced to this weird standoffish version of you. And quite frankly, I don't like it. So what's your deal?" Axel asked. Vanitas cursed under his breath. Why the fuck did Axel think now was the time to bring THAT up as well?  
"Axel, chill, this is not the time," Roxas said, placing a hand on Axel's arm. Axel moves his arm away. He was mad now. He wasn't going to sit here and let Ventus claim he was always like that because that was not true and everyone knew it.   
"No, I think it's a fine time. Everybody in here has been thinking the same thing but nobody's said anything," Axel replied.  
"It obviously wasn't bothering you that much if you're just now bringing it up. And what the hell does this have to do with the original starter of this conversation?" Ventus asked angrily, irritated as well. Axel had a nerve to be bothered now. He sure didn't care to ask in the beginning, and he thinks Ventus is just going to say something now because everyone has an attitude about the way he treats Sora? They can all kiss his ass if they think that's going to happen.   
"Axel, please," Roxas whined to no avail.   
"What it has to do with it is the fact that you don't like Sora because he's related to Vanitas and you're jealous" Axel said straightforward, "There. I said it. We all thought it. I fucking said it."   
If the atmosphere was hard to breathe, then it became quite impossible in that moment. Vanitas truly wanted to punch Axel. This was not the time to bring this up. Bringing Ventus's personal feelings towards Vanitas into the conversation was a big no no. It was still a slightly sore conversation for even the two of them to have, and now that Vanitas knew that Ventus was in love with him, it had made it all the more worse. Vanitas could've choked himself. He knew he should've stopped this before it got this far. He looked over at Roxas and found the blonde had his head in his hand, probably embarrassed that his boyfriend was causing an unnecessary scene. Demyx was staring everywhere ele but the current two people who were coming for each other.   
"You honestly think I'm that pathetic?" Ventus scoffed. So Vanitas's poisonous false belief has spread to the rest of the sandlot. Just fucking great.  
"No, I don't. But it's quite hard to believe that when it's very clear that you give Sora the cold shoulder," Axel spat.  
"Would Sora even be in my house if I don't like him as much as apparently all of you are claiming?" Ventus asked, irritated beyond belief. Axel did not have to bring in his personal feelings about Vanitas. It was uncalled for, and it was making Ventus's blood boil. Axel smirks rather smartly.  
"If Vanitas asked, without a doubt," Axel said. Vanitas snapped his head in Axel's direction and Roxas pinched the bridge of his nose. That did it. Axel had crossed the line.   
"Get the fuck out of my house," Ventus demanded.   
"Ventus-" Vanitas started. Ventus put a hand up to him.  
"No, he can get out. As a matter of fact, everyone who's not Sora right now can get the fuck out," Ventus announced. Roxas looked around, suddenly noticing that Sora isn't even there.  
"Where did Sora go?" Roxas asked, and Vanitas looked around as well. When did his cousin leave?  
"He left the room a while ago. I think it was too much for him," Riku informed. While the two were arguing, Riku saw Sora quietly leave the room with his head down. He had wanted to follow him, but he had a feeling that Sora actually wanted to be alone.   
"I'm not surprised! Now everyone get the hell out," Ventus said as he was leaving the kitchen.  
"With pleasure!" Axel called to Ventus. Roxas sighed angrily.  
"Axel, what the fuck?!" Roxas exclaimed.   
"With pleasure, my ass! I drove everyone here and I'm not taking everyone back on the same night," Vanitas complained angrily.  
"Yeah, I'm not exactly fond of sleeping at home when my parents are gone," Roxas added.  
"Just come to my house then," Axel said.   
"No, I'm not going anywhere with you!" Roxas said angrily.  
"What's wrong with you?" Axel asked.   
"What's wrong with you?! What the hell was all that just now?! Axel, that was uncalled for," Roxas responded.  
"Roxas, we had a conversation about this weeks ago. Somebody had to say something! We were all sitting around here, knowing the issue, and nobody wanted to address it. Vanitas tried like one time and he still kept doing it. Sora's been through too much for his attitude to be a presence," Axel argued.  
"Axel, there is a time and a place for shit like this! Neither of them was now!" Roxas said.  
"That time and place was never going to come at this rate! I'm sick of looking at it! I overheard Vanitas and Ventus arguing that day when he volleyballed Ventus in the nose. At first, I thought Vanitas was just being overzealous because it was his cousin. But then I started watching Ventus myself, and Vanitas was fucking right! Sora shouldn't have to deal with him! He's jealous and he's being petty," Axel stated.  
"Axel, you can't assume that! Have you forgotten that Sora is staying with Ventus right now? You just put them in an awkward situation," Roxas complained. He was tired of this self righteous attitude his boyfriend was putting on.   
"The situation was already there. I just said it. Sora has Vanitas's attention and Ventus can't stand it. That's what the whole problem is. Point blank," Axel declared.  
"Demyx, will you say something?" Roxas whined, turning to Demyx, who had been quiet the entire situation. Demyx scratched the back of his head, upset with the way the evening turned out to be.  
"I don't really know what to say, Rox. I mean, on one hand, I kind of agree with Axel, but I do think that now wasn't the time to do this," Demyx said.   
"Are you any of you listening to yourselves?" Axel asked, fed up, "You know what? Fine. I apologize about how tonight turned out. But I'm not apologizing for what I said. Ventus needs to know what an ass he's become."  
"Where are you going?" Roxas asked as Axel was grabbing his coat and wallet.  
"Home. Ventus kicked us out, remember?" Axel said as he opened the door.  
"Axel, your house is too far to walk from here!" Roxas exclaimed. Was Axel serious right now? Vanitas was currently upstairs with Ventus right now trying to get the angry blonde to change his mind and Axel was leaving?!  
"I'll live," Axel said before walking out. Roxas ran to the door.  
"Axel! Axel, come back! Axel! Damnnit!" Roxas cursed as his boyfriend ignored and continued walking. He bit his lip to prevent himself from crying. He hated it when he and Axel fought, it was nerve wracking and it was exhausting. Why couldn't his boyfriend see that he was wrong?   
Demyx placed a hand on Roxas's shoulder but Roxas shook his head as he closed the door.  
"It's fine" Roxas said, "Axel was in the wrong tonight. He can be mad all he wants."  
"Hey...do you think Ventus is jealous?" Demyx asked.  
"Yes?...No? I don't know anymore, and I don't care! It wasn't our business!" Roxas whined.   
"You got to admit, Rox, Axel was boiling about this for some time now. Maybe he was more upset about it than he let on," Demyx added. Roxas sighed. That probably was true. Before all of this, Ventus and Axel were actually pretty close with each other. It was even Ventus that had introduced Axel to Roxas. Roxas guessed that maybe it did bother Axel more than he thought. But that didn't mean Axel had to blast his opinion and start a fight. He didn't even consider the fact that Sora was in the room! People change, and maybe that's just what happened with Ventus, and they had to live with that.  
No matter how bad they all wanted the old Ventus back.   
Upstairs  
"Ventus, will you please calm down?" Vanitas asked for the umpteenth time.  
"No. I told you all to leave. Can you leave?" Ventus asked angrily as he tossed more clothes into the hamper. He was trying and failing to put his clothes away. It was more of a distraction to himself because he couldn't do what he really wanted to do right now. Vanitas was in the room and he was refusing to leave! Ventus could feel his wrists itching. Fucking Axel had humiliated him and berated him in his own house, and he'd be damned if he didn't get some relief from it! Vanitas needed to get the hell out.  
"Ventus, it's not a big deal, okay? Axel was an ass tonight, we know," Vanitas said. Ventus stood up straight and turned on Vanitas.  
"Not a big deal? Not a big deal, are you serious? Vanitas, this is all your fault to begin with!" Ventus accused. Vanitas blinked.  
"Excuse me? What the fuck did I do?" Vanitas asked defensively.   
"Everything! You started this whole thing! This whole 'I'm jealous of Sora, I hate Sora' shit came from you ever since you tried to break my nose with the volleyball! Obviously somebody heard you say it and now it's infested everyone! You were even suspicious about me letting Sora stay at my house as if I had ulterior motives which I don't! And you're saying it's not a big deal? It's literally all your fucking fault!" Ventus yelled at him.   
"Are you-you know what? No. I'm not going there tonight" Vanitas said, trying to compose himself, "Look, Axel was wrong tonight, alright? We all know this. But don't sit here and try to take your anger out on everyone else."  
"Everyone else appears to share the same opinion, so everyone can recieve the same treatment. By getting OUT of my house!" Ventus emphasized.   
"First of all, nobody is fucking leaving because I drove. I'm not taking everyone home tonight," Vanitas scowled.  
"You're not the one who lives here. You don't get to make that decision," Ventus argued. He knew he was taking his anger out on Vanitas right now but he didn't care. Axel had crossed a line. And if Vanitas was trying to get in on the argument, then Ventus was more than happy to kick him out too. After all, this was all Vanitas's fault.   
"Deal with it. I'm not driving," Vanitas declared. Ventus groaned out of frustration.  
"Why? Why is it that none of you listen to me when I say anything?" Ventus asked himself angrily out loud.  
"That's the fucking problem right there," Vanitas said.   
"What's that supposed to mean?" Ventus asked, glaring at his supposed best friend.  
"You saying anything!" Vanitas replied, now angry, "This is what Axel was talking about. Nobody listens to you because you don't say anything! Maybe if you would open your damn mouth, Axel and everyone else wouldn't think that you don't like Sora! God knows I've been trying to get anything, anything out of you for months and you say shit to me! So don't sit here and ruffle your damn feathers because nobody is listening to you tonight! I was trying to defend you tonight because I'm apparently the only one working on repairing out friendship. Do not get into it with me because you're mad at Axel."  
"That's a load of crap and you know it" Ventus spat, "Do you even hear yourself? Vanitas, you have never tried to ask anything in a sensible manner. And even if you did, you would go running to Sora in the midst of it if the occasion arrived so why should I bother saying anything?"  
"And that right there is why I believe you're jealous of him" Vanitas declared.  
"I'm not! I just know for a fact that if you really had to choose between our friendship and your cousin, I'm not betting on the former option! I'm not desperate enough to believe you wouldn't," Ventus stated.  
"Don't put me in that kind of situation. How dare you?" Vanitas asked, offended. And Ventus really wondered why Axel came at him tonight? He was trying to defend Ventus and this is what he got? Was Ventus serious?  
"There is no situation! At least not one that you're any longer a part of," Ventus said, walking past him to go the bathroom. He couldn't stand there any longer. His heart was racing fast and he needed his relief or it was going to be the end of him.   
"Oh, so does that include you being in love with me?" Vanitas asked before he could stop himself. He hadn't really meant to say that, he really didn't. But he was pissed off at Ventus's behavior right now and he was not going to be dismissed like he was five years old. Ventus paused in his doorway, hands shaking.  
"Don't you dare do that" Ventus warned, and Vanitas didn't need anymore explanation to know what he meant by that. There was long moment of silence as neither one of them said anything, both fuming by all reasons alike and not alike.   
"I want everyone out by noon tomorrow," was all Ventus said before he slammed the bathroom door shut, locking himself inside. Vanitas resisted the strong urge to punch the wall. Stupid Ventus! Stupid Axel for starting this shit! This is why their friendship is in shambles right now. Ventus won't open his fucking mouth, and when Vanitas tries to defend him, he gets the short end of the stick. How was this going to work?  
Vanitas went downstairs to find Roxas and Demyx on the couch, Roxas leaning on Demyx's shoulder. He didn't need to ask. It was clear that he and Ventus weren't the only ones who had a side fight tonight.   
"Let me gues. Axel left," Vanitas said as he made his presence known.   
"His self righteous ego is going to get him murdered one day, I swear," Roxas grumbled, "How's Ventus?"  
"Well, for once, his attitude isn't because of something I did," Vanitas replied. Vanitas still highly pissed off about being dismissed by Ventus like that, but he was also upset as he knew his previous notion was correct. Ventus was clearly holding something back, as this fight would've never escalated to this point on any regular basis. Vanitas and Ventus yelling at each other was unfortunately normal, but Vanitas has never seen his best friend hash it out with somebody else. Vanitas looked around the living room.  
"Where's Sora?" Vanitas asked, only just remembering that Riku said Sora had left the kitchen a while into the fight. As a matter of fact, where was Riku?  
"I think they're on the indoor patio in the back. That's where Riku found Sora when we all left the kitchen," Roxas said. Vanitas nodded. As much as he wanted to go check on his cousin, he had a unfamiliar feeling that his cousin didn't need him at the moment.

  
_On the Patio_

  
Riku wasn't sure what to expect when he found Sora on the patio after leaving the kitchen. He had actually searched around the bottom floor of the house first, thinking Sora had went downstairs to the pool room to distract himself with something. So checking the indoor patio was actually his last place that he decided to check. He definitely didn't want to find Sora in a mess of tears, as he still wasn't fully recovered from seeing Sora cry the first time at Yuffe's birthday party. He had found Sora sitting on the swing on the patio. Riku had forgotten about him really asking Sora permission for stuff before he decided that even though the patio was indoor, it was still too cold for Sora to be sitting out there in just his pants and a T-shirt. Riku had quickly went back inside and found a blanket laying in the living room that he grabbed, telling Roxas and Demyx that he had found Sora on his way back. He sat on the swing with Sora and threw the blanket across both of them, although it was more on Sora than himself. Riku had also hugged Sora to him, as his body heat would provide some extra comfort. But he was also a little concerned that Sora hadn't said a word since Riku found him and he had yet to do so. Riku didn't want to know what was going through the brunette's mind but he didn't exactly like this uncomfortable silence either. The only good thing was that it didn't look like Sora had been crying, as his eyes weren't red or puffy or dried out.  
They sat out there like that for a good ten to eleven minutes before Riku felt Sora's shoulder slack as he sighed.   
"That's the first time I've ever seen Axel act like that...it was kind of scary, and he wasn't even yelling," Sora said quietly.   
"You left before that started. Axel left though," Riku informed him. Sora nodded, half expecting that to happen. There was another long pause before Sora spoke up again.  
"I don't agree with Axel. I don't think Ventus dislikes me," Sora said. Riku was a little surprised by that.  
"I haven't been here long enough to agree or disagree with this situation. But Sora, you have to admit that Ventus is a little distant towards everyone," Riku said, choosing his words carefully. He knew he didn't really have a say in this matter. He had only known the group a few months, but even he could tell that Ventus was a little stand offish as Axel had so bluntly put it.   
"That doesn't mean anything. Some people are like that. Zexion is like that and nobody says anything about him. That would mean that Ventus doesn't like anybody which isn't true or else he wouldn't hang around them" Sora protested. In his mind, it wasn't fair that everyone had assumed this, whether they admitted it or not. He knew his cousin was thinking it, as he's heard Vanitas say it, but he assumed that that was just his cousin being protective of him. But when Axel said it, it hurt Sora's feelings. Ventus had gotten attack tonight, and it wasn't fair when nobody knew what was going on or had happened to him except Sora, and even he only knew the surface of it. And Sora had acted the same when he was first around them. He was mostly quiet as he had watched them talk and goof around, only sometimes saying something to them the first few weeks they were hanging around him.   
"I just wish they hadn't fought because of me," Sora said glumly.   
"It wasn't about you, Sora" Riku said reassuringly, "I have a feeling Axel's been wanting to say something about it for a while."  
"But Axel shouldn't have attacked him like that. Ventus has a lot going on," Sora argued, letting his feelings slip a bit.  
"Like what?" Riku asked. Did someone actually know what Axel was asking for tonight? Sora bit his lip as he realized his own slip up. He can't tell. He made a promise to Ventus, even if Ventus only knew it was for the cutting. Sora shook his head.  
"I don't know. I just have a feeling is all," Sora decided on.   
"Then maybe Axel was right then, don't you think? If something is truly going on, then Ventus should say something," Riku said. Sora shook his head again.   
"It's never that simple," Sora said, knowing this all too well. He was still lying to Riku about his entire existence for fear of Riku leaving him and hating him. It's never easy to tell the truth.   
"Let's not talk about Ventus anymore" Riku said, "I'm more worried about how you're feeling."  
"I'm fine" Sora said quietly, "I'm a bit shaken but it's okay. I just wish they hadn't fought over me. I'm not worth that much to begin with."  
"What? Sora, don't say that. Don't think so low of yourself," Riku immediately said. Why would Sora say that about himself? The worst part was that Riku had a feeling that he really meant it and it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing that he had said.   
"The argument started because of me, Riku," Sora said. He had every reason to feel that he wasn't worth it. He was a slut, why the hell would anyone bother arguing over him? The only time he saw that happen was with a fellow guy the man had brought over the house and the guy had gotten mad because his master wouldn't let him fuck him. That argument Sora could understand, but this one was a mystery to him.   
"Yes, because Axel clearly cares about your feelings, as do I. Hey...are you really okay?" Riku finally asked. He hadn't believed Sora for a second when he said he was fine or else he wouldn't have found him out here by himself staring off into the distance. And he wasn't speaking at a normal volume either, it was too quiet. Riku could only hear him clearly because the night was quiet except for the crickets that could be heard from outside.   
Another long pause occurred as Riku waited for Sora to answer him.   
"No, I'm not," Sora finally admitted.  
"I thought so" Riku said, "What's going on?"  
"Everything" Sora said, swallowing the lump in his throat, "I feel awful. I've caused a rift between Ventus and Vanitas already and now I've caused one between Ventus and Axel. I'm becoming a burden to their friendship."  
"Sora, that's not something you can control. It's not your fault that they're fighting. I told you, this is probably coming from a long ago set feeling that just so happens to be appearing now," Riku said, trying to reason with the brunette. Why was Sora trying so desperately to put the blame on himself?  
"It is my fault, Riku" Sora said a bit louder, his voice cracking slightly, "Vanitas thinks Ventus is jealous of me and that makes him mad at Ventus, who in turn is now mad at Vanitas for accusing him of that. And Axel thinks the same thing and just voiced it in front of Ventus, who is now mad at Axel and Vanitas. No matter how you put it, my existence is still thrown in the equation. It's my fault. It's my fault and I don't know what to do about it and it makes me feel like more of a horrible person than I already am and it's not fair to them because I'm not worth it-"  
"Sora, stop it" Riku said rather harshly, turning to face Sora on the swing,"Why do you keep saying that? Just because your name popped up in the fight doesn't make it your fault. And even if it was your fault, that's up to Axel, Vanitas, and Ventus on how to handle it. They're the ones arguing, and I know for a fact that it's not about you, no matter which way you're trying to make it so it appears to be your fault. Stop saying you're not worth it, you're feelings count too. Why do you keep saying that? Who made you think like that?"  
The last part slipped out before Riku could honestly stop himself. But he was tired of hearing Sora say that, and he had a feeling that Sora says that a lot about himself before Riku even knew him. That was definitely the signs of an abusive relationship. The abuser would make the victim feel like they're not worth anything. It was a means of control and Riku couldn't stand it that someone had clearly done that to Sora.   
Sora swallowed and turned away from Riku, sniffling and trying to control his shaking. In truth, Riku hadn't done anything wrong, but Sora didn't like that Riku had tried to demand that answer out of him just now. It brought up painful memories that were still too recent for Sora. He didn't like the look Riku had in his eyes. It was true worry and Sora felt guilty. The one they needed to worry about was Ventus, and he was probably upstairs alone doing God knows what to dismantle himself.   
Riku softened a bit when Sora turned away from him. He mentally cursed at himself for his foolishness. He had overstepped his boundaries. He had pushed too far, and now Sora was crying because of it, something Riku had wanted to prevent from the beginning. He pulled to covers off himself and wrapped them the rest of them around Sora as he pulled him back to him, Sora's back against his chest.   
"Hey, it's okay" Riku said softly, "I shouldn't have pushed. I'm sorry. I don't like seeing you cry. I just don't want you to think it's your fault."   
Sora had went to try and wipe away his tears but Riku stopped him, entertwining on of his hands with his.  
"That being said" Riku said, smiling a bit, "You can cry if you need to. But at least let me be a proper boyfriend and hold you, okay?"   
Sora, realizing Riku is trying to lighten to mood, sniffles and nods, and he lets Riku manuever him until he's snuggled in between the older boy's legs on the swing, almost laying down if the swing had allowed it. But Sora is no longer crying about the fallout. He's upset anew, as he's never been held like this (with his clothes still on at least), and he can't help but think about how sweet Riku is treating him. He doesn't deserve this kind of genuine affection, but he's been through a lot tonight. So he will allow himself to have it just for a little while, as long as Riku is willing to give it to him. He felt a pressure on the top of his head, and he smiled slightly as he realized that Riku had kissed him on the head.  
"Thank you," Sora said softly, and Riku did it again before saying he's welcome.   
\---  
Ventus was almost finished up in the bathroom. He hadn't expected to be in there for so long, but he had fought with himself before deciding to just do what he was intending to do in the first place, and now he was cleaning his sink so any traces of blood weren't left behind. He didn't even truly know why he was upset to that point, but all he knew was that he had been embarrassed, accused and mistreated in his own house twice now. Why can't he ever have peace, even in his own house?   
He felt bad for arguing with Vanitas. Even though he was still mad at him, he shouldn't have chose that moment to come at him. Vanitas had came upstairs to comfort him and Ventus had instead kicked him out and thrown accusations at him. He hadn't meant to, but it just happened. But now he couldn't go back downstairs. He was afraid to face everyone after both confrontations. This was why he had wanted them all to leave.  
Ventus choked back the tears that were threatening to form. If he cried again, he could most likely cut again, and he had just finished cleaning up. He jumped slightly when he heard a knock on the door, and his stomach dropped knowing it was Vanitas. He pulled on his wristbands before unlocking the door, only to find Riku at the door instead of Vanitas.  
"Riku?" Ventus said out loud before he could stop himself. What was he doing up here?  
"Hey, you doing okay?" Riku asked. Ventus blinked. He wasn't expecting anyone to come up here and check on him. He truly didn't.  
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine," Ventus said, still a little confused.   
Riku has a feeling in the back of his mind that Ventus isn't telling the truth from what Sora had said earlier, but he's leaving it alone for the night. The kid's been through enough tonight.   
"Listen, we all know Axel was out of line tonight. I'm sorry he put you on the spot like that, regardless of what's going on," Riku said. Ventus was taken aback. Someone was actually up here apologizing to him? And it wasn't out of guilt like Vanitas? Ventus could've smiled if he truly felt like it. He was actually kind of happy. Nobody ever checks up on him unless it's out of guilt. Like Vanitas.   
"Thanks," Ventus said, not really sure what to say about it.  
"I know this probably isn't the best time to ask this, but could you possibly at some point tell Sora that you don't dislike him? He got really upset over the whole situation and thinks it's his fault, but I think Axel jumped the gun a little bit. I think it would soothe the situation a bit if maybe he heard from you," Riku said.  
Whatever happiness Ventus had just found in the situation was immediately diminished. Of course that's what this was all about. How could Ventus have been so stupid to have thought Riku was up here to see how he was doing? Of course, he was up here because of Sora, they were dating! Ventus could've bet a million dollars that Sora probably even told Riku to go check up on Ventus. He was so stupid to have believed for even a second that somebody had actually taken time out of their day to see him on their own free will.   
"You're right. I will," Ventus said, doing his best to stay calm and hide the anger that was boiling inside him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep trying to put out the fire. Riku smiled.  
"That's great. I think Sora hearing it from you yourself may cheer him up," Riku said. At least then maybe Sora wouldn't feel so guilty about everything and the gang will stop accusing Ventus of being jealous or whatever it was.   
Ventus nods in fake agreement. Of course it would make Sora feel better. Sora always had to feel better. He wasn't the one was humiliated that night, but Sora always had to feel better.   
"That's really all I wanted to say. I hope you're doing okay, though, really. Goodnight," Riku said before going back downstairs. Ventus waiting until he could no longer hear his footsteps before locking himself back in the bathroom and furiously pulling off his wristsbands. Riku was right about one thing. He would tell Sora that he didn't dislike him because it was the truth. That would settle that situation. But for now, he needed relief from his own stupidity.

 _And that's it for this chapter! Just a note of warning for you Ventus fans, this wasn't the chapter I was talking about in terms of Ventus. But man was this chapter a lot to write. Did anyone expect Axel to expose Ventus like that? Next chapter is the morning after, and after recieving a text from Vanitas, Ventus has it out with Sora in a berating match. What does Ventus have to say to Sora? Also, it's new years eve, and the gang reluctantly comes to celebrate as tradition, but Ventus is gone! Stay tuned for the next chapter! Poof!_


	33. Emotions of The New Year

Emotions of the New Year

_I do not own these characters! This fic is purely for fun!_

  
Vanitas had managed to drive the actual speed limit when he dropped off Demyx and Roxas the next morning. Roxas was in a horrible mood as he actually ignored Axel's texts and calls when the pyro decided to try and contact him. Vanitas said he will talk to Axel for him, to which Roxas nodded, hoping that maybe somebody can get through to him. Roxas was too mad to try and reason with him right now. He didn't like that Axel had walked home, and it drove Roxas crazy last night as he was afraid something was going to happen to him. Before deciding to go home, Vanitas pulled into a restaurant's parking lot that was slightly empty on one side. He took hout his phone and dialed Axel's number.   
"Why isn't Roxas answering me?" was the first thing Axel said when he picked up.  
"Because he's mad at you, moron, as am I," Vanitas said, "I'm cutting to the chase. You need to apologize to Ventus."  
"For what? I wasn't lying about what I said last night," Axel argued.  
"Nobody said you were lying. The point of the matter is you disrespected Ventus in his own house and that's not cool. Last night was not the time nor the place to out Ventus's issues like that," Vanitas explained, basically repeating to Axel what Roxas had told him that night. Axel sighed.  
"If Ventus would just open his damn mouth, I wouldn't have had to say something to begin with," Axel said.   
"I agree, but you and I both know that Ventus is never good at speaking up. He's never been good at it. This was before anything between us even happened. Bottom line Axel, is that despite whatever personal business you have behind what you said, you need to apologize to Ventus. It wasn't fair to Ventus and it wasn't fair for Sora to have heard you say that. And not to get too sentimental right now, but it's new years eve. I really don't want all of us going into the new year mad with each other," Vanitas said. He was honestly really disappointed in Axel, but it also made him sort of watch himself. He was used to arguing with Ventus, but watching somebody else come at Ventus did not sit well with him at all. When he wasn't part of the argument, he saw himself slightly in Axel, mad at Ventus for not speaking up. So he could understand Axel's anger. But he was not fond of Axel yelling at Ventus. Ventus was still his best friend damnnit, and even though he didn't show it all the time, he was still willing to defend Ventus against everyone else.   
He heard Axel grunt to himself over the phone, and he's known Axel long enough to know that was a good sign.  
"You're right" Axel said at last, "I...I guess I did go overboard last night. I shouldn't have started yelling at Ventus...I'll apologize to him. Matter of fact, I should probably apologize to Roxas and Sora too."  
"Nice to see you found your good fortune. Now do it before midnight, thank you very much. I'm pretty sure it's still happening, but you know we spend the new years at Ventus since his parents aren't home. And I want my cousin to enjoy his technical first new years," Vanitas reminded him. Axel nodded even though Vanitas couldn't see it.   
"Deal," Axel said before hanging up. He should probably apologize to Roxas first, as that was his boyfriend, and he smirked to himself. He liked apologizing to Roxas, that always meant make up sex.   
\---  
Sora woke up a little groggy still from last night. He had appreciated Riku staying outside with him on the patio until almost midnight. It was mostly just the two of them sitting there quietly, as Sora was enjoying being in Riku's arms like that. He's never felt that calm being embraced like that in another man's arm for a long time. He also really really liked Riku kissing his forehead or the top of his head. It was relieving gesture and it probably Sora's favorite part of being with Riku. He smelled food being cooked downstairs. Was Ventus up?   
"Good morning," Sora said when he came into the kitchen.   
"It's noon, but good morning," Ventus laughed a bit as he turned the stove off, finished cooking a late breakfast. Sora looked around the table in awe.  
"Why is there so much food?" Sora asked.  
"Well...regardless of what happened last night, we normally spend new years at my place since my parents aren't home and they can get drunk without getting in trouble. Oh, uh, happy new years eve by the way," Ventus said, a little unsure of how to approach Sora right now. He wondered if Sora thought the same as well. If he did, he was damn good at hiding it, but something was telling Ventus that that wasn't the case.   
Sora smiled, thinking that Ventus was in a better mood.   
"Everyone's coming over? That means you and Axel made up?" Sora asked hopefully. Ventus paused in what he was doing.  
"No, we haven't made up. Quite frankly, I won't be upset if he doesn't show up," Ventus clipped back. Sora frowned a bit but Ventus didn't really care.  
"Fix your face," Ventus grumbled.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"I asked if you could grab some plates. I want to wrap up some of this stuff. They won't be eating it until later," Ventus said louder. In truth, Ventus hadn't slept at all last night, as he couldn't find peace in trying to sleep. He was still trying to comprehend what happend and it didn't sit well that everything had ended on a bad note. And now since he hadn't slept at all, he was overly angry and irritated. He was only cooking so he could take his mind off of everything, but as he was finishing up, the feelings were coming back strong.   
"I'm really happy about today" Sora said as he wrapped up some of the plates of food, "I've never been able to experience this holiday properly."  
"New years isn't really that special" Ventus shrugged, "But I do hope you enjoy your technical first new years." Ventus had to force himself to say that last part. He was annoyed and he knew it, but he had to stay calm so he wouldn't take a crack at Sora. He had promised Riku that he would tell Sora that Axel was wrong about his dislike towards him, and for some reason, Ventus was having a hard time trying to do it. But he also still upset that Riku had only checked up on him becasuse of Sora. Ventus was internally shaking with an unknown target of rage. He blamed it on his lack of sleep. It was making him easily irritated.   
Sora smiled at Ventus's words. He was beginning to think that Vanitas and Axel were actually wrong. Sora was right, Ventus was just quiet towards everyone. He didn't have any ill feelings towards Sora.   
"I'm going to go do some laundry, do you need anything washed?" Ventus said as he made his way towards the kitchen stairs that also lead upstairs.  
"No, I'm fine. But thanks," Sora said as he continued to wrap up the dishes Ventus made. It was the least he could do.   
Ventus walked up the stairs trying to control his breathing. Why the hell was he so mad right now? He knew it had something to do with Sora, but he figured that it was mostly because of last night. He wasn't mad at Sora, it's just that he was a part of the problem. He felt his phone buzz and he saw it was Vanitas. Ventus relaxed a bit. He could take this opportunity to apologize to Vanitas about arguing with him last night. He assumed it was Vanitas asking if he was okay. This was the Vanitas he loved.

  
_Hey, how is Sora doing after last night?_

  
Ventus stared at the phone in disbelief. Was Vanitas serious? Ventus had been yelled at, berated, accused, and humiliated in his own house last night...and Vanitas was asking how Sora was doing?  
"Hey, Ventus, did you want me to wrap up the biscuits? They're still kind of hot" Sora said, coming up the stairs. Sora stopped upon finding Ventus standing still in the hallway. Something was wrong.  
"Ventus?" Sora asked.   
"Did Vanitas text you this morning?" Ventus asked, not facing him. He was trying to speak as calmly as possible, but he was beginning to fail. His morning facade was was about to crumble.  
"Uh, no. Why?" Sora asked, confused. Ventus shook his head in disbelief, and took a shaky breath.  
"It's still you," Ventus said, pursing his lips together, "I'm the one that was embarrassed and accused and humiliated last night, but yet again, it's you. It's you."  
"Ventus, what's going on?" Sora asked. He was confused and he was scared at the same time. Ventus was shaking slightly and he didn't like it at all. Ventus ignored him.  
"And he wonders why" Ventus said more to himself than to Sora, "And he wonders why I won't tell him anything...I can't win. I can't win."  
"What?" Sora asked, "I-I thought you and Vanitas were talking everything out?"   
Sora jumped slightly as Ventus barked out a laugh.  
"Are you serious?" Ventus asked Sora, still not facing him, "You thought we were talking it out? Please, Sora, Vanitas doesn't have enough space in his lifetime to fit me into his schedule. You know, he just text me to ask about you. He wanted to know how you were feeling, because that's what's important. Vanitas doesn't know a damn thing. He doesn't know because he doesn't care!"  
Sora is shocked. They weren't talking? But Vanitas had told Sora that they were working on it. Did his cousin lie? Or was he talking about working something else out? Did Vanitas really still not know?  
"Does Vanitas at least know you were raped?" Sora asked, extremely concerned.   
"Of course he doesn't know about that, he doesn't know-" Ventus stopped and whipped around in Sora's direction, suddenly realizing what just came out of Sora's mouth, "What did you just say?"  
"I-uh...um," Sora stammered for words. He didn't like the look Ventus was giving him. He wasn't sure if the boy was mad, upset, confused, shocked, or any kind of emotion. But whatever look Ventus was giving him, it made him feel incredibly guilty. Sora had yet to answer him, and Ventus shook his head. He couldn't believe it. Somehow, some fucking way, Sora knew about his assault. Sora knows he cuts himself, and he knows he was raped. It was like a nail in the fucking coffin.   
"Ventus, if it's any consulaton-"  
"Don't even start" Ventus cut him off harshly, "You know, Axel was wrong last night. About me disliking you...it's not true."  
Sora wanted to smile but he was a little too shaken at the moment to do so. But at least Ventus didn't dislike him.  
"I hate you," Ventus said.   
"What?" Sora said. Had he heard him right just now?   
"I said I fucking hate you!" Ventus suddenly raised his voice, causing Sora to back up, "I hate everything about you! Axel couldn't have been further from the truth! I don't dislike you, I fucking hate you!"  
"Ventus-" Sora tried.  
"Everything is your fault!" Ventus continued, his anger pouring out, "Everything is your fault and the fact that out of everyone I'm friends with, the fact that you know about everything is the most annoying and threatening thing known to man! I'm curious, why haven't you told Vanitas yet, huh? Why haven't you said anything? About my cutting? My assault? Why? You know everything now, why haven't you said anything?"  
"I-I made a promise that...I wouldn't," Sora said quietly, trying to hold back the urge to cry. Ventus hated him? He didn't understand. He flinched when Ventus laughed.  
"Well halle-fucking-lujah! Somebody has finally listened to me, and it sucks that it's the person who I absolutely can't stand," Ventus spat out.  
"Ventus, I don't understand," Sora said. He was frightened but he didn't want to leave.   
"Of course you don't understand! You don't understand because you don't know anything! And that's just it!" Ventus exclaimed, "You don't know a damn thing, and yet you've become everything! Everything revolves around around Sora, and it's disrespectful because you don't deserve it!"  
"What do you mean?" Sora asked. Ventus was scaring him but he wanted to understand where this was coming from.   
"It means exactly what I said!" Ventus replied angrily, "It means that I've been there through everything. You weren't! Not any of them! I was there for all of them and you weren't! You weren't there for anything, so why the hell are you so treasured?! I was there for all of it! And now thanks to you, everyone thinks I'm some asshole who treats poor Sora like crap because every time I try to open up, I can't because something else is always more important, and recently, that more important thig has been you! And it makes me sick because you weren't fucking there! You weren't there at two in the morning on the couch with Roxas, trying to comfort him when Axel got drunk and cheated on him with a girl! You weren't there when Axel got into a car accident and I was the only one available who could donate blood to him! You didn't jump in front of Demyx in the alley way when a guy tried to stab him because Demyx wasn't interested in dating him! Were you there for any of that, Sora?! Were you?! No! You fucking weren't! So why am I being put on the backburner for you?!"  
Sora can't answer as he's grinding his teeth hard, trying not to cry. He wasn't upset because Ventus was yelling at him or berating him. He was upset because this was obviously eating at Ventus the entire time, and nobody knew about it. Ventus was hurting more than Sora had originally figured. Had he really done all that for his friends?   
"V-Ventus...why won't you tell Vanitas?" Sora asked. He didn't understand. The two of them were best friends, why won't Ventus say something to him? He bit his lip as Ventus dramatically scoffed.  
"Vanitas? Vanitas is the biggest crook of them all! Sora, you clearly weren't listening" Ventus scowled, "You don't get it! You ruined my life before I even met you! In terms of Vanitas, you weren't even there and you ruined my life! You weren't in the attic with Vanitas, trying to keep his composure as we were putting your eight year old things away in boxes! You weren't there to defend Vanitas in the principal's office when Vanitas almost gave a kid a concussion in middle school because he mocked your death! You weren't there to comfort and help him at the hilltop when he finally decided to accept that you were gone! And you weren't there, on the phone, at three in morning with Vanitas when Vanitas was all but ready to kill himself!"  
Sora froze. Vanitas? His cousin? His cousin was planning to kill himself? Over Sora's supposed death? That couldn't be. Was he mean that much to Vanitas?  
"Yeah, you're shocked, aren't you?" Ventus said, mocking his surprise, "You know why you're shocked? Because you weren't fucking there! But it was all because of you! Vanitas's life revolves around you, even though I was the one that stopped him from pulling the trigger that night! I did everything to help Vanitas get past your death, because I care about him! You want to know something, I was even glad when it turned out that you were alive! I thought that it was amazing! Vanitas would finally find peace! He would be okay! And if he was okay, that meant that I could finally tell him about everything. That shit completely backfired! Because now that you're physically here, Vanitas only sees you! My friends only see you, Cloud and Leon only see you, and it's not fucking fair!"  
"Ventus, I'm-"  
"Do not try to to apologize" Ventus hissed, the tears breaking through at last, "There's no need. I mean this when I say it. Sora, I'm truly sorry about what happened to you. I really am. No human being alive should be treated the way you were. Nobody...but I don't understand why it's all you. Why is it all about you? Because you have nightmares? So do I! Because you have bruises? So do I! Because you have scars? So do I! Mine may have healed, but that doesn't I don't see them every fucking day of my life! But I don't get what you do! I don't get told everything will be okay! I don't get told it wasn't my fault! I don't get told that anyone is there for me! Sure, Vanitas says that shit, but he never means it. Vanitas wants to believe that he's there but he's really not. After all, why would he be there for me? I'm not you. Instead, I get called annoying. I get called ungrateful! I'm a brat! I'm jealous! That's what I get called!"  
Sora had long ago began to cry. He didn't want Ventus to be feeling like this. Ventus didn't have to be suffering alone.   
"You must think I'm crazy" Ventus half scoffed, "You must be thinking why I still hang out with these people. You want to know why, Sora? Because I'm weak! Because I'm pathetic! I stay with these people who I care about because I know for a fact that if I were to desert them, if I were to truly block myself away away, I would alone with my thoughts...and my thoughts have long ago told me to kill myself. If I'm alone, I'm dead! That's why I stay with them!...Even if they'll never listen..."  
Ventus choked on whatever it was that he was about to say next, and he crashed to the floor, his sobs overtaking him. Sora was silently crying the entire time. He's hurting for Ventus. He understands. He knows that feeling too well. When he was trapped, locked away by himself, his thoughts have also told him to kill himself. He knows what it feels like to think nobody cares. He knows what it feels like to be told he's worthless and that he is nothing. He knows how it feels to feel alone. And Sora can't bear the thought that somebody else shares the same dark thoughts as he does. He walked over to Ventus and wrapped him in a hug.  
"Ventus, I don't care if you hate me" Sora said, "But I truly want you to know that you can talk to me. I know it sucks, but you can talk to me."   
There is a long silence as Ventus is still in his own thoughts sobbing.  
"Sora" Ventus said, "I will never talk to you."  
Sora felt his heart sink completely. He forced himself to let Ventus go and he got up and went to the guest bedroom he was staying in. He cried harder as he heard Ventus's door slam. Ventus was right, this wasn't fair at all. Sora was a slut, and he knew that he didn't deserve the treatment he was recieving, he knew that. Sora knew their treatments should've been switched. Ventus was a victim of assault, he was just a slut who was good at hiding.  
\---  
"Hello? You two better not still be sleep!" Vanitas called into the house as he, Roxas and Demyx came in.   
Sora woke up, his eyes still a little dried from crying. The boys were here. Which meant he had to go downstairs or Vanitas was going to suspect something. He quickly got up and splashed some water on his face before going downstairs. He paused at the staircase and looked towards Ventus's room. The door was still closed. Ventus must still be sleeping. Sora frowned but he forced it back as he went downstairs.   
"How you feeling?" Vanitas as he greeted his cousin.  
"I'm fine. A little excited actually. My technical first new years," Sora smiled. It was one of the fakest smiles he's ever had to put on, but it was a holiday and everyone else seemed happy. Ventus would come down when he's ready.   
"Where's Ventus?" Vanitas asked.  
"He's still sleeping. He was up earlier this morning cooking. He's most likely exhausted," Sora said. That was technically the truth.   
"I saw all the dishes wrapped in the fridge. I'm not surprised," Vanitas nodded.  
"Is Axel coming?" Sora asked, worries from last night resufacing.  
"Yes!" Roxas replied rather happily, "He's going to apologize to Ventus!"  
"Really?! That's so great!" Sora is truly delighted to hear that. He didn't realize how overwhelmed he truly was until he started crying again, both in delight and exhaustion.   
"I'm s-sorry" Sora said, wiping at his tears, "I don't know what came over me just now."   
"It's fine, you had a long night last night," Demyx said, rustling his hair. Sora internally frowned. Ventus was the one who had a long night. Sora got to cuddle with Riku on the patio all night, Ventus was upstairs most likely cutting himself to tears.   
\---  
7PM  
Sora was so delighted when Axel and Riku finally came over, but Ventus had yet to come downstairs. But Sora chose to focus instead on Riku for a while. This was his first new years and he didn't want to feel upset all day thinking about Ventus. He happily snuggled with Riku on the longer couch, but now he couldn't help but feel incredbily guilty as Ventus's harsh words echoed into his mind about his treatment. He didn't deserve any of it. But Riku was new to the group...so did Riku count?  
8PM  
"I honestly thought he would've came downstairs by this point," Axel said as he stuffed another biscuit bite into his mouth. Vanitas had gotten tired of waiting for Ventus, and all had decided to heat up the many dishes Ventus had prepared beforehand. The blonde had truly outdid himself. He had made biscuits, pancakes (for Demyx), tacos, spaghetti and meatballs, pasta salad, macaroni and cheese, greeb beans, steak strips and a variety of other things. The deal was that Ventus had made any type of dish, as everyone always had a different appetite. Like Demyx, who preferred breakfast food in the evening. Sora felt bad for sleeping all that time while Ventus was clearly up since 4am in the morning.   
"Well if he doesn't come down, you can always go up," Vanitas said as he took another steak strip off the plate. He made a mental count of what was left so Ventus could still eat when he actually got up.  
9PM  
"Alright, I'm going up," Axel said as he put down his third plate and went upstairs. He had a feeling that he would've had to come to Ventus, but he didn't expect the blonde to stay locked up in his room this entire time. Axel tried to doorknob only to find it locked.  
"Great" Axel said as he knocked lightly on the door, "Hey, Ventus? It's Axel. Look, I'm sorry about last night. I really am. I had no right to come at you like that. I will admit, I still think I'm right, but it wasn't the time to do that. I shouldn't have yelled either. I'm sorry dude."  
Axel waited a few minutes, but when he didn't hear anything from the other side, he knocked again.   
"Ven, can you at least open the door so I can see you?" Axel called. Still no answer.   
"Hello! Dude, I'm apologizing here!" Axel yelled through the door. He heard laughing and turned to find Vanitas having come up the stairs.  
"What's so funny? He's not opening the door," Axel said, a little mad that he was saying sorry and Ventus wasn't even letting him in.  
"Honestly, Axel, he's probably still asleep. This is why we were supposed to stay the night, remember? We were all supposed to cook. He did it by himself and he's out," Vanitas laughed. Ventus's door wasn't even locked. Vanitas pushed the handle sideways and opened it.  
He and Axel both stared at the room in confusion when Ventus wasn't in his bed. Vanitas went to go check the bathroom that connected to Ventus's room. He wasn't there. He and Axel went back downstairs, Vanitas a little worried now as he had found Ventus's phone on the bed.  
"Sora, where's Ventus?" Vanitas asked, not even all the way down the steps. Sora turned around in confusion.  
"What? I thought he was sleeping," Sora said, truly shocked. Ventus was gone? But when did he leave?   
"He's gone?" Roxas asked, turning off the TV.  
"Yes, he's gone! And he left his damn phone!" Vanitas growled.  
"We have to find him!" Sora said immediately. If Ventus's morning distress was anything to go by, then Ventus could've done something drastic.  
"I agree, let's go," Vanitas said as everyone got up to grab their coats. Ventus never left his phone. While he was pretty sure Ventus was maybe only around the corner, he couldn't help but feel like his disappearance had something to do with last night. Damnnit Axel!   
9:45PM  
Ventus was in city square, wandering around and looking at the people who were all heading towards the river to watch the fireworks. Ventus never watched them in person. When his panic attacks were really bad, the fireworks made him anxious, so he just avoided them all together, preferring to watch them on TV. It was actually the reason the boys made the tradition to celebrate at his house, since Ventus couldn't go to the fireworks. He didn't really have any direction of where he was going, but he couldn't stay in his house any longer. He needed to clear his head.   
He shouldn't have released all his all that anger on Sora this late morning. He was dead wrong for doing that. He was supposed to tell Sora that he didn't dislike him, and instead he had told him hated him. But Ventus was just so tired of everything, and he hadn't slept, and Sora was just there and before he could stop himself, everything had spiraled downhill. Ventus knew that there was no way Sora didn't tell Vanitas what he said. It was why he left his phone when he left. He knew Vanitas would scream and holler at him through the phone, and he knew he wouldn't be able to handle it. He couldn't face Sora at the moment, nor Vanitas.   
He found a quiet spot around the corner of a 7-Eleven, and he sat down on the ground to rest. His legs were getting tired from walking. He had been walking for hours and he needed a break. He would have to try and come up with a reason as to why he cursed at Sora. He could honestly just say he was tired and delirious from cooking, or that he was drunk and didn't know he was talking to Sora, or-none of that was any reasonable excuse to do what he did. Vanitas wouldn't buy any of it. How was he going to fix this? Did he even want to?  
Just as he was contemplating going to live with his parents, he felt a rubbing pressure against his pants leg. He looked down and saw a orange and white tabby kitten, meowing and rubbing itself against his pants leg. Ventus smiled at the kitten. It looked cute, but he frowned as it must be missing its mother. He straightened out his legs, and the kitten meowed approvingly as she climbed on top of him. She started sniffing his bag and Ventus assumed she was smelling the fruit in his messenger bag. He didn't even know why he brought the bag, he just needed something to keep him weighted he guessed. He carefully picked up the kitten.  
"How about we go get some proper food?" Ventus asked as he stood up. The kitten purred and sniffed his hands. Ventus smiled a little. At least somebody paid attention to him. He held the kitten inside his coat as he walked around, trying to find the nearest shelter or vet that was still open. He knew of one, and only prayed that the owner hadn't left for the holiday.   
\---  
10:15PM  
"I can't believe Ventus decided to pull this shit on the one of the two holidays where everyone wants to be the hell outside!" Vanitas complained as he drove. He, Sora and Riku were in one car while Axel, Roxas and Demyx were in another, both cars searching for Ventus. When they hadn't found him around the neighborhood, they all hopped into cars and set out in search of him.   
"Maybe he just wanted to go watch the fireworks.Get some fresh air," Riku tried.  
"Negative. Ventus doesn't do well with live fireworks. That's why we celebrate at his house," Vanitas said.   
"He left because of last night" Sora said sadly. Riku turned to Sora.  
"Sora, don't start blaming yourself again," Riku said softly.  
"Yeah, it's not your fault. That was between Axel and Ventus," Vanitas added. Sora nodded but it only made him feel more guilty. This is what Ventus was talking about. He felt Riku grab his hand and squeezed it reassuringly.  
"Don't worry, we'll find him," Riku said, smiling at Sora who couldn't help but smile back.  
\---  
10:30PM  
Ventus was so grateful that the vet he knew of was still open. And there were actually quite a few people in there. Who knew shopping for pets was a holiday thing?  
Ventus was currently signing off some papers to register the kitten into the shelter. As much as he wanted to keep her, Ventus knew that he didn't have the mental stability to raise a pet right now. He heard the side door open, and he looked up to find a girl and a man (her father), coming out. The girl looked a little sad.  
"Didn't see one you liked?" The owner asked the little girl. She shook her head.  
"None of them looked like the one," the little girl said sadly. She looked up suddenly and she gasped when she saw the kitten in Ventus's hand. She ran up to him.  
"Is that your cat, mister?" she asked excitedly.  
"Huh? Uh-"  
"Can I have her? Please, she's so cute! She's exactly what I'm looking for!" the littel girl pleaded.  
"I can pay you for her" the father said, walking to Ventus, "You see, we lost our cat a few months ago and she's been wanting another one since."  
"Oh, you don't have to do that" Ventus said, "She's not really my cat. She came up to me in an alleyway, I was just registering her into the shelter."  
"May I hold her?" the little girl asked. Ventus nodded and held the kitten out to her. The little girl took the cat into her arms and it immediately began purring as she scratched it behind its ears.  
"She's perfect! I want her! I'll name her Cleo!" the little said said happily. Ventus shrugged his shoulders in defeat.  
"She's yours," Ventus said, and he waved the girl and her father goodbye, to let them finish the papers since he was no longer needed to do so. He actually felt quite happy in doing that. For once, he didn't mess up. He actually did something right.   
\---  
11:10PM  
"We're going to have to split up, there's hundreds of people," Vanitas said as they crossed the street. They had decided that driving around was impossible with the amount of people on the road, and were now on foot looking fo Ventus.  
"Everyone got their phones?" Axel asked. Everyone held theirs up as proof. They all nodded after agreeing on who was going with who and they set off. Vanitas and Demyx went north, Axel and Roxas went west, and Sora and Riku went east towards the fireworks.   
"I hope nothing happened to Ventus," Sora said sadly as they walked.   
"Sora, I'm sure everything will be fine. Regardless of what Vanitas said, I still think Ventus went to go watch the fireworks," Riku laughed, trying to cheer Sora up. Sora nodded but he knew nobody knew about what happened this late morning, and he fears that Ventus made have done something drastic. He jumped slightly when he felt Riku grab his hand.  
"Sorry" Riku said upon noticing, "It's just that there's a lot of people and I don't want us to get separated."  
"Oh. That's fine," Sora said, blushing a little. He smiled a bit too. He liked the feeling of Riku's hand holding his own.   
11:28PM  
"I think this is all my fault," Axel said as he and Roxas searched, "It's because I decided to pick a fight with him last night."  
"Axel, that can't be possible" Roxas said, "He's never done this when he's argued with Vanitas, and those two argue like a married couple."  
11:42PM  
"No luck anywhere," Vanitas said as everyone met back at the place where they started from. At some point in Vanitas and Demyx searching, they ran into Zexion who was in a cafe, but even he hadn't seen Ventus anywhere.   
"He's got to be somewhere," Roxas said, now starting to get worried.   
"Guys, I know this is going to sound like a horrible thing, but what if we just go watch the fireworks? At least there everyone won't be moving around and it might be easier to spot him out if he's there," Demyx said, hoping he didn't sound like a complete asshole.  
"I agree with Demyx" Riku said, "I've been saying that he may have went to watch the fireworks this whole time."  
"...You're probably right. It's highly unlikely but he may have surprised us this year," Vanitas grumbled. Secretly, he was actually hoping that Riku was right and that Ventus was just over at the river with the crowd.   
"Can we get something to eat first though? I'm hungry," Sora said. He felt extremely bad that they were giving up the search for Ventus, but he vowed to make it up to Ventus when they did find him. He just hoped they weren't too late.   
The gang made their way towards the river and turned down a street where a diner was. As they walked past the window of one, Sora looked inside and he gasped loudly.  
"Ventus!" Sora yelled, stopping everyone else. Sora could see Ventus inside the diner, sitting at a table reading a book. Everyone immediately rushed inside, and Sora spooked Ventus by grabbing him and wrapping him in a huge hug.  
"Ventus, thank God you're safe!" Sora exclaimed happily, almost to the point of tears.   
"What the-? Why are you here? What are you all doing out here?" Ventus asked, confused as he realized that everyone was there, even Zexion.   
"You drove me half insane tonight! We went to check on you upstairs and you were gone! You left your phone!" Vanitas replied, a little angry but he too was also relieved that they had found Ventus.   
"Nobody knew when you left! Your door was still closed!" Sora added. Ventus was bewildered. They all went out in search of him? That was very unlike them, but he had a cringy feeling that they only went out because Sora was probably worried about him after this morning, but he pushed that thought down for now and tried to like the fact that they had actually searched for him.   
"Sorry I made you all worry," Ventus said quietly. He looked up as Axel approached him.  
"Hey, I said this earlier but you weren't there" Axel said, "Listen, I'm sorry about last night. I didn't mean to come at you like that, and it wasn't fair to you. I'm sorry."  
Ventus was shocked. Axel was apologizing? To him? Ventus couldn't help the smile that actually crossed his face, and he shook the outstretched hand that Axel had placed. They all suddenly heard clapping from the side and turned to see the owner behind the counter clapping.  
"Now that's the kind of humanity I like to see" he smiled brightly, "Forgiveness and kindness. What do you say I whip up some hot chocolate for all of you? It's on the house."  
"Hey, guys" Demyx said, looking at Zexion's watch, "It's 11:57, we still have time to go watch the fireworks."  
"I second that idea!" Sora piped up. He was elated now that Ventus was found and he seemed to be doing fine, so now Sora could actually focus on the holiday. They all thank the owner for his offer before heading outside back towards the river. They get to the back of the crowd, not bothering trying to mingle inside that mess just as the clock hits one minute. Ventus felt a tug on his arm, and Vanitas pulled him a little away from the rest of the group.   
"Hey, Ven, you really did worry me tonight," Vanitas said, no hint of anger in his voice at all, "I thought something horrible had happened to you."  
"Sorry, I just went for a walk," Ventus said.   
"Then bring your phone next time," Vanitas responded, playfully punching him in the shoulder, "I'm already always worried about Sora, I don't have time to worry about you too."  
Ventus is a little sad about that statement. It was almost similar to what he told Sora earlier today, but he forced himself to laugh in spite of it. It just hurt to know his view of the situation was correct. He wished Vanitas would worry about him. They wouldn't be in this situation if he did.   
"I'm sorry too, about last night" Vanitas added, "I shouldn't have argued with you after Axel. I meant what I said that day the carnival, Ventus. I want us to go back to the way we were before. I'm going to try and be a better best friend."  
Ventus nodded, and he was a little moved almost to the point of tears.   
"You sure you going to be okay with the fireworks in person?" Vanitas asked, and Ventus realized he was talking about his panic attacks. Ventus nodded.  
"I'll be fine. I promise," Ventus said. He turned and looked towards the sky in anticipation of the fireworks. He felt a little stupid for falling for Vanitas's words yet again.  
He loved Vanitas, but he knew he would soon break his promise again.

  
(Same Time)  
Axel is cradling Roxas in front of him, his arms around the blonde's waist as he's humming in delight.  
"You know, Axel, I'm really proud of you," Roxas said.  
"Oh?" Axel asked.  
"Yes. You sincerely apologized to Ventus. I'm proud of you," Roxas said.  
"Yeah, well, I'm happy I did it too" Axel said, "I feel like the weight was finally lifted off my shoulders." Roxas smirked.  
"I guess I should reward you for your sincerity," Roxas grinned. Axel's eyes immediately lit up at that.   
"Does that mean what I think it means?" Axel asked hopefully. Was Roxas really going to give him road head?   
"We'll see," Roxas shrugged, already know that was not going to happen. He and Axel both join in as the countdown begins.

  
(Same Time)  
"You look really excited," Riku remarked as Sora was grinning from ear to ear.  
"Huh? Oh, that's just because it's my first time seeing the fireworks for real," Sora said, blushing a bit now from his excitedness.  
"Really? You never went out to see them?" Riku asked, finding that a little strange. Sora shook his head.  
"I've only ever saw it on TV," Sora lied. In truth, he's only ever heard them. He was always restrained to the bed during the holidays, and sometimes he would pass out before it even hit midnight, from exhaustion or dehydration. He felt Riku grab his hand again, getting his attention back from his thoughts.  
"Well, I'm happy too," Riku said.  
"Why?" Sora asked.   
"Because I get to witness your first time with you," Riku smiled, and he chuckled a bit as Sora's face flushed uncontrollably. The countdown began and Riku and Sora joined in excitedly.   
"Happy New Years!"  
The fireworks immediately went off, and Riku looked around him and he managed to catch Demyx and Axel kiss their respective partners. He looked back at Sora and the idea vanished from his thoughts when he caught sight of Sora's face watching the fireworks. He looked in complete awe, and the fireworks were reflecting beautifully off his ocean blue eyes. Riku decided that that sight was much more satisfying to him. Sora looked truly happy, and Riku turned to watch the fireworks as well.   
Sora suddenly remembered back to some books he read about events happening during the new years, and he feels like he's forgetting something. When he suddenly remember what it was, he realizes a little sadly that Riku hadn't done it. But they were also a couple, so why didn't Riku do it? Sora suddenly thought back to what Riku had said about they were going at Sora's pace in this relationship. So Sora could make the decisions as well.   
With that thought in mind, Sora smiled and he surprised Riku by grabbing his face towards him and connecting their lips together in a happy kiss.

_And there we go! So sorry to the Ventus fans, because this is not over! But now that Sora has more insight, how will he try to get Vanitas to try and help without blowing his cover? In the next chapter, Riku is invited over for dinner at Sora's place, and he witnesses Sora's legendary nightmares! How will he handle it and what will he do? Meanwhile, Ventus is slightly paranoid now, as he believes Sora will tell Vanitas what he said any day now. How will Ventus cope? And drumroll, Vanitas gets a hint as to what's really going on with Ventus, but from who? And Uncle Xemnas gets a clue that makes him believe that Sora may not have gotten as far as he's been lead to believe. How close is he to finding Sora? Stay tuned! Poof!_


	34. How To Handle

HOW TO HANDLE  
 _Disclaimer! I don't own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, this fic is purely for fun._

  
Sora chewed on another beef stick, probably his third one in one sitting as he sat in his bedroom attempting to finish reading a book he had found on Grant Rush, but his mind was still reeling from everything that transpired since New Years. After the holiday when he returned, he was more than happy to share with Cloud and Leon what had happened during the night. However, he did leave out the fight purposefully. He didn't want them to know that his friends had gotten into an arguement over him while they were away, it would only make them worry. Thinking back to that fight ultimately led Sora to thinking about Ventus. Sora frowned as he finished his beef stick. He had really hoped that he would've had the chance to get through to Ventus, espcially after that incident in the hallway where he was finally able to understand where all of Ventus's pain was coming from. In the end, Sora had debated Axel's words, and he decided that, after hearing what Ventus had to say, that Ventus did not indeed hate him as he kept claiming. Sora doesn't even really believe that Ventus is jealous. Ventus is just hurt that his feelings have been pushed aside for an obscene amount of time. Sora really wanted Ventus to talk to him, but since he still believed that his turn of events were Sora's fault, Sora at least hoped that someone, preferably his cousin, would tackle Ventus's issues and talk it out with him. Sora has also came to this conclusion since when he left that morning on Jan. 1st, Ventus actually looked a little sad that Sora was leaving. He remembers before he left, and he asked Ventus if he could keep trying. Ventus hadn't answered him, but Sora believes that Ventus may have agreed, just not verbally. His phone buzzing drew him out of his head and he looked at his phone to find a text from Riku.  
Hey! Be there in ten minutes! Have a quick errand to run!  
Sora sighed as he looked at his phone. He hadn't seen any of the boys since he left that morning on the first, but Riku was coming over for dinner per request of Cloud and Leon, who were more than thrilled to hear that he and Riku were officially a couple. But Riku coming over tonight meant Sora had to face the elephant he had created in his own mind. He walked over to his dresser and stared at the box sitting on there. He had been staring at it for the past two days since he's been back. He still doesn't think he deserves to wear the necklace, it was much too beautiful with it's silver crown and inscription on the back. It quite literally shined with prestigious value, something Sora would never have in a normal manner. But he had promised Riku that he would wear it. Riku will surely be upset if Sora won't put it on. Slowly, Sora picked up the necklace and placed it around his neck. He glanced at the mirror, and he failed to try and stop the smile that spread across his face as he looked in the mirror. The last time he smiled like this was during New Years, when he took the initiative to kiss Riku since Riku didn't do it first. He would never tell Riku, but that kiss was the first time he had kissed someone else and his body didn't feel like it was betraying that man. The first time Riku had kissed him, Sora had a second natural reaction to cower, like the man somehow knew that he was "cheating" on him. But Sora pushed that thought away. He didn't want to greet Riku at the door with that as his lingering thought. He would just enjoy dinner tonight. He took one last look at the mirror before smiling and going downstairs to help Cloud finish cooking.   
\---  
Ventus was attempting and failing miserably to clean his room. He had left it a mess since that morning. After yelling at Sora and blabbing about everything to the brunette, Ventus had went into his room and basically destroyed it. He had yet to properly clean it and at this point, he was considering calling the maids to do it. For a while, Ventus had still been reeling from New Years night, when his friends had actually went searching for him, thinking something bad had happened to him. However, that feeling was very much short lived when he figured that it was most likely Sora who made them all go out and search for him, no matter how concerned they all felt when they found him.   
Thinking of Sora made Ventus replay in his head what he had told that kid that morning. Why the hell did he tell him all that? And more importantly, why hadn't Sora told Vanitas yet? Surely Ventus had hurt the brunette's feelings, and he had no doubt in his mind that Sora would tell Vanitas everything he said to him that morning, and Ventus would no longer be his friend. Why was Sora keeping quiet? Ventus had meant evey word that he had said, but he knew that he shouldn't have let it all out in front of Sora. Especially not when he was already mad at Axel and Vanitas prior to Sora getting the blow of all of it.   
What upset Ventus the most about everything was the fact that he didn't feel any different afterwards. He had been told multiple times that if you told someone everything you were feeling, it would feel like a weight was lifted off your shoulders. Ventus had told Sora everything, except maybe the details about his rape, and he didn't feel any lighter. In fact, he felt even worse, and he was pretty sure he had dug an even bigger hole in the already pit deep hole of he and Vanitas's dying friendship. Vanitas may have seemed relieved to see him that night, but that didn't mean that Vanitas had forgiven him for the whole situation.   
The lyrics of Jasper in Deadland began blasting on his phone, and Ventus shook himself out of his thoughts as he went over to answer it. It was Vanitas.   
"You doing anything right now?" Vanitas asked instead of just saying hello.  
"I was attempting to clean my room but it's a losing battle," Ventus replied.   
"Accept defeat and come outside, and for the love of God, please bring your phone," Vanitas said, and Ventus could practically feel Vanitas rolling his eyes. He's confused but he puts his shoes on and grabs his coat and phone anyway. Ventus is halfway thinking that he might've jinxed himself and that Sora may have actually told Vanitas what he said. If that was the case, then he was about to get hell thrown at him.   
He got into the car as Vanitas turned it back on.  
"Good, I was hoping I didn't have to come inside and get you" Vanitas said as he backed out of the driveway, "I hope you're hungry."   
Vanitas drove off as Ventus decided it was best not to say anything.  
\---  
"I always find it amusing and yet creepy how everyone always seems to arrive when the food is done," Cloud said as the doorbell rang. Sora laughed as Leon went to go answer the door.   
"Hello, Riku," Leon said. Riku nodded in return.  
"Sorry I'm a little late. I had an errand to run," Riku said as Leon let him in. Leon shook his head.  
"The food just finished cooking, so you're actually right on time," Leon said as Riku took off his shoes by the door and hung up his jacket on the rack. He walks to the kitchen with Leon and as he's greeting Cloud and Sora he smiles. Sora is wearing the necklace he got him for Christmas and Riku is over the moon. He was right, the necklace looked perfect on Sora. It suited him in a way Riku couldn't really describe but he liked it a lot. He wants to compliment Sora on it but he decides to hold it until after dinner when he and Sora possibly have some alone time.   
"Cloud completely forgot to tell Sora to ask you, but you're not allergic to anything are you?" Leon asked.  
"Unless any pieces of food on that plate is made of orchid, I'm okay," Riku said. Cloud quirked an eyebrow.  
"That's such a strange allergy," he commented before he could stop himself. Riku shrugged.  
"Yeah. I accidentally ate one when I was three because I liked the color and it turns out I was allergic to it," Riku said.  
"Why were you eating flowers?" Sora asked, although he found it amusing that a baby version of Riku was stuffing flowers into his mouth.   
"Because that's what colors will do to a kid. You make it bright enough and make it look edible and small, they will eat it. I was a victim of this," Riku said, making everyone at the table laugh before they finally decided to dig into the food Cloud had cooked.   
"So Sora told us you guys lost Ventus on New Years Eve," Leon said. Riku nodded.  
"Technically we didn't lose him. He just left without anyone knowing and we all freaked out because he didn't have his phone. I'm more happy we found him before the fireworks went off. It was already bad enough that the main streets were crowded, but looking after the fireworks would've been absolute chaos," Riku explained.   
"How in the world did he manage to go out the door and none of you saw him?" Cloud asked, not wanting to believe that the group Sora was hanging out with was that dense.  
"My assumption is that he left before they got there," Sora said.  
"Yeah, he probably didn't want to see anyone after that whole thing with Axel the night before," Riku said. Sora cringed as Cloud and Leon looked up from their plates in confusion.  
"What thing with Axel? Did something happen?" Cloud asked, looking to Sora who looked away guilty.  
"Oh, Sora didn't tell you? The night before Ventus and Axel got in an intense argument and Ventus tried to kick everyone out before Vanitas convinced him otherwise. Left everyone on a sour mood by the time the night was over. Axel walked home and that pissed off Roxas and I'm pretty sure Ventus yelled at Vanitas upstairs so everyone was hit that night," Riku explained. He too looked at Sora in confusion. Why wouldn't Sora tell them what happened?  
"Everyone stop looking at me" Sora said sheepishly, "I didn't want you to worry, so I didn't mention that. Besides, Axel apologized before it hit New Years and we all ended up having a good night."  
"Well, I guess that makes up for it then," Cloud said, although he was a little let down that Sora had kept that from them. If they were fighting with each other, then he and Leon should know about it.   
"What were they even fighting about?" Leon asked.  
"Um...well, Axel decided to bring up the fact of the possibility that Ventus had a problem with Sora due to him being Vanitas cousin. Claimed he was jealous," Riku said slowly, not really sure how the married couple were going to react to the situation. Cloud turned to Sora.  
"They were arguing about you?" Cloud asked. That was slightly alarming.   
"Not really" Riku chimed in. He didn't want a repeat of Sora blaming himself for the situation, "Axel mentioned something about Ventus being like this before Sora got here. I think he just used Sora as more of a buffer or something. Deep down, it wasn't really about Sora."  
Sora looked at Riku in shock. Why in the world was Riku so quick to defend him? He knew they were dating and everything, but Riku didn't need to work that hard. He wasn't worth that much.   
"...I guess that makes sense," Cloud said, still thinking. Ventus had been rather distant before Sora arrived. Maybe Riku was right, it went deeper than just Sora being Vanitas's cousin.   
"How was Ventus the morning after? Before he left, that is. It seemed like a pretty intense night," Leon asked. He knew Ventus was a pretty shy kid, and knowing Axel, he probably let him have it too harsh. Ventus was never good with handling situations like that.  
"Oh, he was actually fine" Sora lied. He could feel the lie in his entire body but he forced it down, "In fact, when we got up the next morning, Ventus was cooking the food and he apologized to me about that night. He said that he didn't have any issues with me."  
"He did?" Riku asked. Even he hadn't heard about that. Sora nodded happily, mentally cursing himself for the lie he was telling. But he didn't want anyone mad at Ventus anymore. He had even told Vanitas this same story, a bit more elaborated, but he felt that it was needed. If Vanitas knew what Ventus had really said, there would be utter chaos and it might destroy their friendship. That was the last thing Sora wanted for Ventus and Vanitas.   
"Yeah," Sora replied.   
"Well, at least the issue was settled. Axel apologized and Ventus apologized. Happy ending for all of you," Leon smirked. The conversation took a happier turn after that, as everyone finished their plates and desert on behalf of Leon making strawberry cheesecake from scratch. When they finished, Cloud and Leon went upstairs to give the couple some privacy but they left their door open just in case.   
"Leon, do you think maybe we should check in on Ventus? I know the argument was uncessary but Axel was slighty right. Ventus has been a little...off for a minute now. I know we left him alone because he was pretty down about Vanitas, but don't you think it's been a while since then?" Cloud asked. While he disagreed with how Axel tried to handle the situation, he knew Ventus had changed since the incident with Vanitas. They had left it to rejection blues at first, but could Ventus really still be upset about that? Because that's the only logical reason why he would even be accused of being jealous of Sora.  
"Cloud, while I agree, I don't think there's anything really wrong with Ventus. Kid got rejected by his best friend who he still hangs out with. Honestly, that may be what the problem is. It's hard hanging out with someone who you once had feelings for, especially if the feelings are still there. And if you ask me, I can tell you that the feelings are definitely still there. Vanitas has some too, but he's being really stubborn about it. He wouldn't argue with Ventus so much if he didn't. Besides, we can't worry about everyone, babe. Sora is already a handful and he's improved so much from when he was first brought here," Leon explained. He wasn't worried about Ventus after Sora said that the blonde had apologized. That clearly meant that Ventus didn't have ill feelings towards Sora. His attitude started with Vanitas, and until Vanitas fixed the problem with the most obivous solution, Ventus was just going to be a little off and there wasn't anything they could really do about it.   
Cloud nodded after a good five minutes.  
"I guess you're right, but the parental instinct in me is going to make me at least see how he's doing tomorrow. If he's home that is," Cloud said.   
\---  
"Sorry about earlier," Riku said as he and Sora settled on the couch. The plan was for them to watch another classic Sora had never seen, but they had yet to decide on one from Netflix.  
"I blew your cover a bit," Riku said. Sora shrugged.  
"It's fine. I probably should've told them the whole truth anyway," Sora said shyly. He was a little embarrassed about the whole ordeal, but that was nothing compared to the guilt that was eating at him about lying to everyone. Lying to Riku was one thing as he's already lied to him so many times, but lying to everyone else was making his mental stomach churn.   
"Well, at least Ventus talked to you. I was hoping he was going to," Riku said. He thought he was being a little foreward that night when he asked Ventus if he could talk to Sora. He honestly thought Ventus wasn't going to do it. So it was nice to know that Ventus had kept his word. Riku leaned back on the couch, getting rather comfortable even though he wasn't even staying the night.  
"On to other matters, I have to say, I was a little surprised...okay a lot surprised when you up and kissed me on New Years," Riku said with a smirk. Sora actually laughed at that. He was wondering if Riku was going to bring that up.   
"That's because honestly I was a little peeved that you didn't do it. So I took matters into my own hands," Sora said, giggling a bit. Riku grinned at that. That damn giggle.   
"I apologize. You were just so into the fireworks, I didn't want to ruin the moment for you," Riku replied. It was the truth afterall.   
"May I also add what I told you before?" Riku continued, "I said we were going at your pace, remember?"  
Sora rolled his eyes. While that was definitely something he appreciated, after he realized what was suppose to happen and it didn't, that thought Riku could've changed the pace at least for that moment.   
"You can take the reigns sometimes," Sora drawled out, picking up the remote to actually turn on Netflix. The backgroud of hearing the Golden Girls was nice, but they should probably get to the movie. Before he could actually turn it on though, he felt the couch shift and Riku took the remote from his grasp. Sora turned towards him and almost jumped. When did Riku get that close? And what was with that look on his face? Riku leaned towards him and Sora leaned back on pure instinct.  
"Can I take the reigns right now?" Riku asked. Sora knew his face looked like a tomatoe right now but he couldn't help it. He was extremely nervous but another part of him was kind of...excited. He nodded slowly. Riku flashed him a toothy grin before closing the gap between them and kissed him. Sora is fine with this by this point, and his body finally stopped stiffening everytime this happened. Sora kissed him back briefly before attempting to break away, believing the kiss was over. So he was a bit more than surprised when Riku didn't let up like normal, and he was surprised when his lips landed back on his own. Now this was new to Sora. The man had never did this. It was always a harsh, brutal kiss but it was always just one and then it was over. But Sora kissed him back anyway. After all, it was just kisses after one another, right? He could do that. His brain finally kicked into gear as he realized this was what people called 'making out'. He pushed himself to believe he was okay with this. This wasn't his master, this was Riku. He was fine with this. Sora also noticed that Riku hadn't stuck his tongue in his mouth, something that man did just to gross him out more than anything. Sora smiled into the kisses, grateful for two things; that Riku didn't do that and that Riku's lips still tasted a little sweet from the cheesecake they had eaten prior.   
What he wasn't grateful for was what came next.  
At some point, Sora's mind came to the question of the amount of weight he was feeling being pressed down onto him. At first he had ignored him, thinking one of them were just trying to get comfortable on the couch. Then Sora felt it again, and he realized that not only was that Riku pressing against him, but Riku was also pressing him down onto the couch.   
Sora was not fine with that.   
Acting on instinct alone and before he could actually stop himself, Sora pushed Riku away from him, stopping the kisses in the process.   
"What's wrong?" Riku asked, baffled by Sora's sudden rejection. He thought he was enjoying it.   
Sora could hear his heart pounding in his head as all the worst case scenarios took turns playing in his head. His imagination had taken the reigns at the realization that he was close to being beneath Riku, and that had scared him to a ninth degree. He closed his eyes and took a breath, pushing the offending scenarios back to the recesses of his mind.   
"I'm...I'm sorry" Sora said, turning away from Riku, a little embarassed, "Don't take this the wrong way, but I don't-I don't want to be...under you."   
"Um...okay?" Riku agreed, although he was slightly confused as to what Sora was talking about. Riku hadn't even known he was trying to push him down and he was a little mad at himself for his body acting on its own and in turn scaring the shit out of the brunette. But why had that freaked him out? When it finally hit Riku as to why, he could've shot himself in the foot. Given the background Riku thinks Sora has, Sora probably presumed that if he were under Riku, then he wouldn't be able to escape should something go wrong. Riku could've berated himself for that. He had a flickering thought of that initiating the horrible first time Sora had mentioned on their first date but he stopped his thoughts from digging further into it. He couldn't focus on that right now, he had a now frightened boyfriend to take care of.   
"Sorry. I didn't mean to do that, honest. I'm sorry I spooked you. Let me make it up to you," Riku said. Sora watched in confusion as Riku leaned back against the couch and held out his arms. What was he doing?  
"I'm lost," Sora said, calmer now that he heard Riku apologize.  
"I'm switching positions. That ay, I'm underneath and you're on top," Riku said, still holding out his arms. Sora's eye widened in realization. That was incredibly odd...but sweet. But instead of sitting on his front as Riku thought he was going to do, Sora instead sat with his back to Riku's front, the same way they had that night on the patio. Sora had liked that position. That way Riku could wrap his arms around him and his hands would be in line with Sora's eyeline of sight. Riku got the hint and wrapped his arms around him as Sora picked up the remote and turned on Netflix to watch the first movie he saw pop up that he had yet to see; Cheaper By the Dozen.   
\---  
Ventus had been out with Vanitas all day, and while he was happy that he had this time with Vanitas without incident, he was extremely paranoid that Vanitas was only being this nice to him because Sora had finally told Vanitas what he had said and this was Vanitas's cruel way of ending their friendship. They were currently in the food court in the shopping mall, and he was torn from his thoughts as Vanitas came back with their order of tacos.  
"You know I could've helped you with that," Ventus said as Vanitas sat down.   
"Yeah, but you paid for it. Least I could do was actually go get it," Vanitas said as he wasted no time in biting into his own burrito. There was silence for a minute as they allowed each other to eat.  
"I have to ask" Vanitas said, interrupting the nice silence, "How've you been since New Years?"  
Ventus quirked an eyebrow. Why were they walking into this territory?  
"I've been fine" Ventus lied, "I'm glad Axel and I are no longer fighting."  
"Me too" Vanitas said, "Because let's face it, I'm the only person who's allowed to argue with you."  
Ventus didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult but he chooses the former so he won't be upset about it.   
"I should probably tell you the real reason I dragged you out of your house today," Vanitas said, setting down his burrito. Ventus swallowed hard. He knew it. This was it. Vanitas was going to end their friendship and probably punch him in the damn nose for talking to his cousin the way he had.   
"Count this as a thank you gift. For talking to Sora," Vanitas said. Ventus blinked.  
"What?" Ventus asked.   
"I said thank you, geez. Sora told me that you talked to him and you said that you didn't have a problem with him and if it ever felt that way, then you were sorry."  
Ventus was completely dumbfounded. He hadn't said anything close to that. He said he hated kid for crying out loud! Why the hell would Sora lie about that?  
"I'm actually quite impressed by you. I'm happy you straightened out the situation. I know it made Sora happy that the argument was basically for nothing," Vanitas said, returning to his food. Ventus, while still in shock and confusion that Sora had lied, smiled despite himself. Vanitas wasn't mad at him for once. He was happy with him and that was rare these days. Sora was involved in that change of attitude but Ventus wouldn't let that drowning thought ruin the moment. There was a rather awkward silence in the air as the two resumed eating, but Vanitas broke it again before it got umcomfortable.  
"Ventus, you would tell me if something was wrong, right?" Vanitas suddenly asked, almost causing Ventus to choke on his soft taco. Where was all this coming from? Ventus took a long time to answer. His heart wants to say that's true but he knows he can't tell Vanitas everything going on. If Sora saved him for now, then his troubles would definitely end their friendship if Vanitas knew what he was doing to himself and what happened to him. A new thought had occurred to Ventus a few days before new years eve. What if Vanitas didn't even believe him? What if he thought, the worst, that he was only saying that because of what happened to Sora? That would be catastrophic to Ventus's mental health, and that was already questionable. He suddenly remembers what Sora had asked of him that morning he left. He asked him to keep trying. But how could he?  
"Of course I would. You know that," Ventus finally said, playfully punching Vanitas in the shoulder to relieve the tension Vanitas's question had created.   
"Good," was all Vanitas said before he continued his meal. He was a little let down. He thought Ventus would tell him the truth. The blonde was never good at lying.  
The fog had gotten thicker.  
\---  
"Could he be any slower?" Ventus asked himself impatiently. He was currently at one of the exits from the mall. He and Vanitas were in the middle of leaving when Vanitas's phone suddenly rang and Vanitas walked off to go answer it. Ventus assumed it was probably his mother. Vanitas never liked people hearing how he talked to his mom, and Ventus knew it was because she was the only person who recieved his goody two shoes act.   
Ventus still couldn't believe that Sora had lied about that morning. The brunette had absolutely no reason to lie, and Ventus found it a little frustrating that Sora took pity on him by changing the story. He didn't need his damn pity. He took out his phone, beginning to text Sora and ask him why the hell he lied about what he said.   
Ventus's feet wandered on their own as he was texting, and he ended up bumping into somebody. Ventus turned around.  
"My bad, I wa-"   
Ventus stopped talking as he realized who he had bumped into. It was a guy with long spiky blue hair and wicked dark eyes. His name was Saix. Ventus knew this guy. He went to high school with him before Saix graduated a year before him.   
Saix was the one responsible for his rape. He was the one that raped him first!   
From the look on his face, Ventus knew that he too recognized who had bumped into him. Ventus backed away slightly, his heart ringing in his head.  
"I thought you moved," Ventus said through gritted teeth. Saix smirked smugly.  
"I'm on vacation. Thought I come visit the family" Saix replied, he looked around, "Where's the rest of your posse? Being alone is what got you in trouble in the first place."  
Ventus gaped for half a second before he closed his mouth. Did he really just say that? Did he really just make light of that situation? That bastard! Ventus could feel the fire ebbing its way to his wrists, the desire hitting him harder than that night at the hotel when he ran into his other rapist. He can feel the panic attack coming. He was trying his hardest to push it down. He composed himself.   
"If I recall correctly, trouble hit you too with a puppy. The video is still on YouTube," Ventus clipped back, surprised at his own bravery for saying that. Saix glared at him, ready to pummel the blonde.  
"What's going on?" suddenly came Vanitas's voice from behind Ventus. He was walking back to the exit when he noticed Ventus talking to the man and it didn't seem friendly at all. He could practically feel the hostility.   
"Who you talking to?" Vanitas asked Ventus directly.  
"Just an old buddy of his," Saix said curtly.   
"We are not friends and you know it," Ventus spat out befor he could stop himself.   
"I'm sorry, is there a problem?" Vanitas asked, this time turning to Saix with a glare hard enought to challenge Saix. Vanitas had never seen Ventus act this cold towards another person that wasn't him. Something was definitely wrong.   
Saix put his hands up in feigned surrender.   
"No need for the threats, it's settled already. Remember, Ventus?" Saix asked, looking past the yellow eyed boy to the blonde. Vanitas whipped his head in Ventus's direction as well.   
"What is he talking about?" Vanitas asked. Ventus goes quiet as his conscious catches up with him and he finally realizes the situation in front of him. Vanitas is currently standing in front of one of his rapists, and if Saix says anything, everything will be exposed. And Saix would probably end up going to the hospital and Vanitas to jail. Saix raises an eyebrow to Ventus before he tilts his head to the side with a knowing look. Ventus went pale as he realized he just gave himself away.   
Saix knows Vanitas doesn't know.   
"If you must know, I threw blondie here in a dumpster once upon a time in high school," Saix said. Ventus stared at him.   
"You did what?!" Vanitas growled, and Ventus grabbed his arm. He could always tell thirty seconds before it happens when Vanitas is ready to swing on someone.   
"Vanitas, it's settled. He got attacked by a dog later that day. Let's go," Ventus said, forcibly making Vanitas walk towards the exit. Vanitas shirked him off, glared at Saix once more and left the building. Ventus went to follow suit, but as he walked past Saix, Saix said just loud enough for only Ventus to hear.  
"I'd do it again."  
Saix walked away laughing to himself as Ventus stood still on the spot for two seconds longer, trying to figure out if he just heard what he thinks he heard. He forces himself to walk out, following Vanitas to his car, but his body is on auto mode.   
_I'd do it again_  
By the time he reaches Vanitas's car, who had yet to get in, the reality of that statement is sinking in and Ventus has been lost the sense to try and control his breathing. He's shaking terribly and wishes his heart would jump out of his chest already and end his misery.   
Vanitas looks up from his phone at Ventus, and it only takes him two seconds to realize that Ventus isn't okay, and that he was having a panic attack.  
Vanitas walked to the other side of his car, opened the passenger door, and climbed in, pulling Ventus with him who had barely paid attention to the fact that he was being manuevered to sit in between Vanitas's legs. Vanitas closed his door behind him and leaned against it. He closed both his hands over Ventus's eyes, cutting off Ventus's vision.   
"Breath, Ven" Vanitas said.  
\---  
Riku looked at his wristwatch to make sure it wasn't past 11pm. He had promised Cloud and Leon that he wouldn't stay to midnight and he wanted to keep on the promise since he wasn't spending the night. Sora had long ago fallen asleep on the older boy but Riku is contempt with this. He likes that Sora felt safe enough in his arms to fall asleep. They were halfway through the second movie when Riku noticed Sora was sleeping. He had turned it off and opted to watch Living Single reruns instead. Him chuckling didn't seem to stir the brunette.   
Some time passed before Riku felt Sora shift slightly. He ignored it, assuming he was trying to get comfortable in his sleep. A few minutes later, Sora shifted again, and Riku even shifted, trying to find out how to make him comfortable. He was again only peaceful for a few minutes until he moved again. Riku was starting to get a little concerned but he pushed it down. Some people move a lot in their sleep. Hell, three of cousins have slapped him in the face doing that.   
Riku stiffened when he heard a noise. It sounded like...a moan? A groan? He lowered the volume on the TV, and he managed to catch the sound again. It was definitely a groan, and a hiss followed it.   
"Nnh!" Sora finally said loud enough for Riku to turn the TV on mute. he stared down at the sleeping boy. He looked slightly shiny, like he was starting to sweat. Was he having a sexual dream? If he was, Riku sure hoped he was involved in this said dream. However, that thought was shattered when Sora very clearly grimaced in his sleep. It sounded like Sora was in pain. Riku silently cursed as he realized that Sora was having a nightmare. Before he could properly figure out whether to wake Sora or not, he heard something very unsettling.  
"S-Stop...please..." Sora whined softly in his sleep. Riku immediately takes the latter, and repositions the both of them, Sora laying next to Riku instead of on top of him. He pulls the brunette towards him and glides his fingers through his hair.  
"Hey, hey, it's okay" Riku said softly, noticing that Sora's legs were also moving, "It's okay. You're sleeping, it's alright"

  
 _Sora is tied to the bed as usual. He is naked and shivering but not from the cold but from whatever drug his master injected him with minutes ago. He long ago forgot what he was being punished for, but he was wearing a cock ring and it was past painful. His master is walking up and down the bed, trailing the brunette's body with a cold vibrating dildo._  
 _"I wonder how I should punish you today," he said as if he was really thinking about it. He dragged the vibrator across the closest nipple, and Sora groaned by force._  
 _"I suppose I could starve you for two days, but you're already so skinny and I need you in good shape for tomorrow," he said, "But I don't want to spank you. I did that yesterday and you sounded like you liked it. Little slut."_  
 _He circled the virbator across his stomach, and Sora jerked and tried to sink away from it to no avail._  
 _"Which punishment would you prefer?" the man asked. Sora closed his eyes. He hated it when he made him choose._  
It's not real.  
 _What was that? It sounded like another person was in the room, but that impossible. He groaned painfully as his master brought him back to attention by dragging the torment over his cock, and Sora had resist the urge to kick his feet out._  
 _"Don't!" Sora blurted out._   
You're dreaming. None of it is real.  
 _That was definitely someone's voice. But who?_   
You're not in danger. You're with me. You're okay.  
 _Who was talking?_

  
Riku was busy whispering into Sora's hair as he spoke, trying to calm him. He kept repeating the same mantras over and over again, also fighting with Sora who at this point was trying to push him away from him while still sleeping. He wasn't sure if it was working, but he noticed Sora's kicks were getting further and further apart.   
"Find me in the dream, Sora. You're okay," Riku was saying.

  
 _Find me in the dream? What was that supposed to mean? Then Sora saw something he never saw before. The vibrator in his master's hand was suddenly gone. There was just air now._  
You're not in danger.  
 _Sora leaned up on the bed, and he scared himself as he saw that his restraints were gone. The vibrator was gone and so were the restraints. And his master didn't seem to notice. How could he not know he no longer held a weapon? ...This couldn't be real...Was he dreaming?_   
Find me in the dream.   
_Sora looked past his tormentor and noticed a bright light. Had that always been there?_   
It's not real.  
 _"It's not real," Sora suddenly repeated to himself. The bed disappeared and he was standing now._  
 _"It's not real," Sora said again, and the room dissolved, leaving only him and his master in the white void._  
 _"It's not real," Sora said, and he pushed his hand through his master's chest, grabbing onto the light that was shining behind him._

  
Much to Riku's relief, Sora has stopped moving and grunting, his fight with his body finally calling a truce. Riku still ran his hand through his hair, still chanting the same mantras. He was also rubbing the younger boy's back, just as a precaution. He stilled his movements when Sora appeared to be breathing normally again. He looked and checked his face, and was relieved to find that Sora didn't look like he was in pain anymore. He actually looked quite peaceeful once again. His eyes moved and Riku realized he was waking up. Royal blue eyes fluttered open, and squinted in question.  
"R...Riku?" Sora said unsure, "How did we get in this position?"  
"You were having a nightmare," Riku said plainly. Sora thought for a moment even as he nodded slowly. He was sure Riku was right, but something was off. If he had a nightmare, then how come he wasn't in pain right now?   
"It didn't end as a nightmare," Sora said more to himself than to Riku. Riku laughed.  
"Well, I would hope so as I was trying to help," Riku said.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"I was talking to you while you were sleeping. Trying to calm you down," Riku explained. Sora suddenly thought back to the weird dream, and he now vaguely remembers another voice in the dream talking to him. Was that Riku? And if Sora really was having a nightmare, then that meant-  
"What did I say in my sleep?" Sora asked suddenly. He's learned from Cloud and Leon that he talks out his dialogue in his sleep. If Riku heard anything that expose him for the slut he was, then their relationship was over. Riku shook his head and Sora could relief flush through his body.  
"You were only making noises. Nothing coherent enough to understand," Riku lied. Sora had technically said three words he understood but he decided to leave it be for now. Sora smiled at him, and it made Riku's heart skip a beat at the genuine happiness behind it.  
"Thank you. For helping," Sora smiled.   
"No problem," Riku said as they both got up. Riku looked at the clock. It was almost time for him to leave. He looked over at Sora, who still seemed to be trying to figure out what happened.  
"Does it get worse than that?" Riku asked. Sora paused, and his eyes saddened as he nodded slowly.   
"It was why I couldn't go to sleep that night you were forced to stay over," Sora explained. Riku hugged him from behind.  
"Next time it happens, just think of my voice, alright? If you do that, I can help you," Riku assured him. Sora thought about that for a moment before he nodded happily. He could try to do that. If he remembers that while he's dreaming of course. Riku got up and stretched.  
"It's close to eleven. I promised your uncles I'd be out of here before midnight," Riku explained, yawning a bit. Sora got up with him and walked him to the door.   
"Seriously, Riku, thanks for doing whatever it was that you did," Sora said sincerely. Cloud and Leon haven't even done that, and they've been dealing with the tornado of his nightmares forever now.   
"Anytime" Riku said, "By the way, I love that you're wearing the necklace. It looks great on you."  
Sora placed a hand over said necklace, completely forgetting that he was wearing it and he blushed at hearing the compliment.   
"T-thanks," Sora said softly.  
"You going to keep your promise and wear it all the time?" Riku asked. Sora nodded.  
"Why do you want me to wear it so badly?" Sora asked out of amusement. It just seemed something so odd for Riku to want.   
"To be honest, I want you to wear it because I bought it for you. Also because if someone decides to flirt with you, you can flash them that necklace say your boyfriend gave it to you. That way they know you are off the market," Riku said. Sora only tried to hold in his laughter for two seconds before it bubbled out of him. Riku smirked.  
"Laugh all you want, but it's the truth," Riku said. He tilts Sora's face up to his and kisses him on the forehead. After what happened earlier, he didn't want to test his luck. He waved Sora goodbye and Sora leaned against the door and smiled as Riku drove away. He looked back down at the necklace, and he didn't feel bad about wearing it anymore. Riku was right. It did suit him.

 _Okay, that's it for this chapter! This was supposed to have two other things but this chapter got way too long and my fingers hurt! I will put the immediat aftermath of Ventus's panic attack in the next chapter, along with a Xemnas segment, but what do you guys think of Vanitas being SO CLOSE to finding out what happened? Will Ventus tell him now that Ventus has run into two of his rapists? Next chapter, Riku invites Sora over to his house, but Uncle Xemnas is there! What will happen? Also, in the next few chapters, snippets of Ventus's story will be revealed as the pieces of what happened that day he was raped comes together and his many attempts to try and confide in his friends and Vanitas. What stopped his friends from listening to him so long ago? Stay Tuned! Poof!_


	35. Chances Taken and Offered

CHANCES TAKEN AND OFFERED  
 _I don't own the characters nor the rights to Kingdom Heart or Final Fantasy. This fic is purely for fun and I make no profit._

  
"I pay these men way too much money for them to be slacking off this much," Xemnas grumbled angrily as he typed away on his laptop. He was currently sitting in a coffee shop on the outskirts of town. His henchmen, though rather delayed, have finally sent him some more news on possible locations where his little slut had possibly made it off too. He was a fool to think that the kid could've possibly made it to Michigan. He didn't have enough money for a plane ticket, nor did he have an ID. He would've had to had caught a bus and he didn't have enough money for that either. The only way his slut could've made it to Michigan would've been if he earned the money by sleeping with other people, and that thought alone was enough to boil Xemnas's bones. That brat's body belonged to him and him alone. His quietness was ruined as two people sat behind him in the booth section, gossiping rather loudly.  
"I love some of the rare customers that come in here," one of them said. Xemnas guessed they were waitresses on break.   
"I know! They always have better manners than our regular customers. Remember that kid that came in here a week or two ago? He was so sweet!" the other one said.  
"You mean the one with the gorgeous blue eyes? Oh, he was adorable!" the first girl said.  
"And his hair! I've never seen someone with hair that naturally spiky!" the second one said.  
Xemnas stopped typing. Blues eyes and spiky hair? That sounded a lot like his slut. He casually leaned back in his booth, pretending to type on his laptop still as he listened.   
"Oh, he was such a sweetheart! And he thanked me so much for making him that sundae," the first girl was saying.   
"He had a nice group of friends with him too. Although the one with the red hair was rather attractive, don't you think?" the second one said. They both laughed.  
"Girl, you know he too young for you! You could be his older sister!" the first girl laughed.   
_Drop some names, damnnit!_ Xemnas thought angrily. He wasn't an idiot. He still knew his slut's actual name, although that didn't mean that the kid knew it. He hasn't called him by his actual name since the day he killed his parents and kidnapped him. The kid was probably going by any name somebody called him.   
"You wouldn't think someone would be so excited about a sundae, but he was so in awe of it. He told me he's never had one before. He's never had ice cream apparently," the first girl explained.  
Bingo! Xemnas grinned sinfully. That had to be his slut. He never gave that brat ice cream. He never deserved it, the little troublemaker. Now if these little hoes could just describe these so called people he was hanging out with.   
"Kids never having ice cream is such a crime! Reminds me of this one time..."  
Xemnas groaned as the conversation shifted gears. But he had more information than he had in a long time. If the kid had popped in here a few weeks ago, then there was no way he had managed to make it to Michigan. Hell, there's no way he made it out of the state. He closed his laptop and called his top henchmen.   
"Come back to the state. Search anew. I just got some rather good news. I don't think he made it out of the state," Xemnas said before hanging up. He wasn't used to things taking this long. The fact that he found no evidence in his own house of the slut's escape is what pissed him off from day one. It's like whoever helped him wiped their fingerprints clean.   
The waitress had said something about a kid with red hair. So he had to look for a brunette hanging out with a red head. That was a lot of people, but with boys, it shouldn't take too long. Xemnas could investigate that himself for the city he was currently in. He smiled to himself. He was going to find his slut.   
\---  
Ventus's breathing had gone back to normal almost over fifteen minutes ago, but he and Vanitas had yet to actually leave the backseat of his car. Ventus was rather shocked that Vanitas had even remembered to do that to calm him down. He hasn't done that since their first year of high school when his panic attacks were really bad. To anyone else, it wasn't much, but Ventus was highly grateful that Vanitas had done that. He wasn't covering his eyes anymore, and instead his hands were at his sides, one hanging over the seat. Another moment of silence, and Vanitas finally broke it.   
"I don't want to probe, especially after you've just calmed down" Vanitas started, "But does this have anything to do with Saix?"  
Ventus shook his head for two reasons. One was to lie to Vanitas because this was not the time for that conversation, and two because he didn't want Saix's face in his mind right now after hearing him say that. He couldn't believe he had said that. He would do it again? How many other people has he raped to the point where he thinks he can just say that? Did he have any type of human compassion?   
"You know, sometimes they happen for no strict reason" Ventus lied, "Like when we were in seventh grade, and we were watching that movie about cars and out of nowhere I had a panic attack. They don't always have a reason."   
"I guess that's fair," Vanitas reluctantly agrees. Something in the back of his mind is telling him at that Ventus is lying, but he can't see Ventus's face so he can't fully tell if he's lying or not. In reality, Ventus is completely shaken at the fact that he has now run into two of his rapists, and he now fears that if he runs into the third one, that one will definitely expose everything. Ventus won't get lucky three times in a row, that's just how his life was.   
He felt a vibration on his right side and he realized that Vanitas's phone was buzzing. Vanitas reached into his pocket and quickly pulled it out, not even caring that he had to maneuver around Ventus to do so. He didn't want him off him quite yet, but he would never admit that.   
"Hello?" Vanitas asked as Ventus leaned back against him and closed his eyes. He had so much tension that still wasn't released.   
"Dude, when the hell you planning on coming over? I'm not planning on staying home forever," Axel's voice complained over the phone.   
"I was busy, calm down" Vanitas retorted into the phone, "I'm on my way now." He hung up and it was only then that Ventus was forced to get off of him. The both of them got in the front from the car doors and Vanitas started the car.  
"You sure you good now? I don't want to drop you off at your house and you end up in the backseat of an ambulance in the next hour," Vanitas said. Ventus laughed despite himself.   
"I promise I'm okay" Ventus said, "Thank you, by the way. I didn't know you still knew how to do that."  
"It's not that hard to do. Besides, we're best friends, it's kind of my job," Vanitas said as he drove. Ventus nodded, not responding. There were other things best friends were supposed to do, but he wasn't going to start an argument after Vanitas helped him through a panic attack. That would just be plain evil. The fog wasn't any thinner or thicker, but he didn't mind it at the moment.   
\---  
 _Last Year_  
 _Ventus was walking away with a heavy heart. But he knew how everything was going to lay out so he shouldn't be as hurt as he was. He should've trusted his mind when he told himself that he wasn't going to admit his feelings to Vanitas. They were best friends, and he didn't want to ruin that, but he couldn't sit there and fumble with his feelings anymore. But he had just the tiniest feeling that maybe it wouldn't end that way. He thought that by this point, Vanitas had actually shared some similar feelings...but he guessed maybe he was wrong. He had gotten his hopes up way too high, and he only ended up hurting himself and possibly his friendship with Vanitas. He didn't look happy at all when Ventus out and told his feelings to him, but Ventus didn't regret telling him. He just wished that that look on Vanitas's face hadn't happened. It made him feel like a traitor, and he didn't know why._  
 _Ventus was so caught up in his own thoughts that he bumped into someone by mistakes._  
 _"Oh, sorry," Ventus said as he looked up. He groaned._  
 _"What do you want Saix?" Ventus asked. He hated this guy. The man had tried to ask him out last semester many times and Ventus got tired of turning him down._  
 _Saix just smirked at him and Ventus rolled his eyes before attempting to walk away. He was suddenly stopped by two other men. He didn't know these two. He looked back at Saix with an even more annoyed expression._  
 _"Look, if you're going to jump me because you can't take no for an answer, I'd rather save you the trouble and just give you my phone and wallet. That way, nobody has to walk away with any sweat or bruises," Ventus said. He was slightly frightened of getting jumped on the inside, but it wasn't enough to make him cower because he knew it was out of pettiness. Saix walked over to him and at first, Ventus thought he was actually about to take him up on his statement, but then he pushed him back towards the other two dudes. They caught him and then wouldn't let him go, grabbing him roughly. Ventus was still calm but it was starting to slip fast._  
 _"Seriously?" he asked as Saix came closer to him._  
 _"You're right. I can't take no for an answer. I don't like to," Saix smirked. He nodded towards the two boys and suddenly Ventus's oxygen was cut off with a white rag. It was damp and Ventus knew the second it hit his nose that it was drugged with something. He actually tried not to breathe for a minute before the lack of oxygen forced him to take a breath, and he passed out soon after._   
\---  
Riku kicked off his shoes as he dropped his bookbag. He honestly hated when school started back up after the holiday break. Nobody ever wanted to go back to school after the holiday, everyone was still too lazy to actually do anything. The only reason Riku was going back was because he wanted to graduate on time or else he wouldn't hear the end of it from his parents. The other reason why he was going was solely because Sora was also there. Riku gladly praised the day he swung the cafeteria door too early. Any later and he would've never had a reason to get close to the brunette. And then they had history together because his boyfriend was smart as hell and skipped a class. Riku really enjoyed his time getting to know Sora. Vanitas even became less threatening the more time he spent time around his now group of friends. His other friends were slightly jealous, as he was new to that school and he was friends with that "tight" group of people when some of his other friends had tried to infiltrate that group. It's not that they were even popular, it was just that their friendship seemed so genuine that people wanted to be a part of it.   
Riku looked down and saw another pair of shoes not his size at the door. He knew at once it was his uncle, but what the hell was he doing back here? Riku picked his bag back up and went upstairs to look for his uncle. He heard the sound of typing and he followed it to one of the guest rooms closer to the master bedroom. He looked inside and found his uncle typing away at his laptop. Riku could swear that that thing was attached to him because he was on it so much.   
"What are you doing back?" Riku asked as he leaned against the door frame.   
"Hello to you too, nephew," his uncle greeted him without actually looking at him.  
"Hi," Riku said.  
"I told you I may be back" Xemnas said, "Your home location is right in the middle of my traveling. I just use it as a pit stop. Besides, if you must know, some of my clients are being very persistent about staying in the city when there is clearly no prize for them here."  
"You mean the strippers?" Riku asked, laughing. Xemnas rolled his eyes. He honestly wished kids knew the difference between stripping and exotic dancing. They were two completely different levels of dancing.   
"Just text me next time, okay?" Riku asked, "That way I don't think anyone broke into my house."  
"No promises," Xemnas said, still not facing him, his eyes glued to the laptop. Riku shrugged and walked off to his own bedroom. Xemnas waited until he heard his nephew's door close before getting up and closing the door again, locking it. He didn't have time for his nephew to sneak up on him doing what he was really doing. He went back to his laptop and swiped to the screen he was really on, the microsoft word document being a decoy to anyone who tried to look at his laptop. He re-entered the password and the screen unlocked, showing what he was really looking at.   
It was a slideshow of pictures of Sora, gruesome photos he took of the brunette when he was rather proud of himself for doing something to the brat. All of them featured him in different positions, blindfolded, and filled with whatever Xemnas had decided had forced inside of him.   
Xemnas sat back in his chair with a sly grin and dipped his hand back into his pants. He's been doing this for the past few months now as he realized that sleeping with other clients just never seemed to have the same effect as when he was fucking his slut. The thought that he had been reduced to this actually made him laugh.   
"At this point, I may just fuck him where he stands when I find him," Xemnas said as he sped up his hand.   
\---  
Friday  
Friday was probably Sora's favorite day of the week. It was the end of school for the week, and that meant he could spend the weekend hanging out with his friends. He was beginning to feel like a regular person, but he would never really know the feeling with the constant notion of him being a slut. Sora was determined to play pretend for as long as possible. He might've told his friends some of what he had done, and they might've forgiven him for it, but Sora was not about to replay every sexual and desperate thing he's either said or done just for the man to show mercy or anything he said while he was under influence. That was where his true sluttiness lay, and that constantly haunted the back of his dream like reality he was living. He prayed that he never woke up, and he prayed that Riku never found out the truth. He had thought back to the day Riku came over for dinner and he realizes that he may have overreacted when Riku pushed him down. But his body had acted on its own and he didn't even really realize he did it until after it happened. What he had said was still true. He didn't want to be under Riku. He still didn't want to be under Riku. It was way too easy for anyone to take advantage of him if he was already pinned under them, and Riku was no exception. He was currently in said Riku's car, getting a ride home as something came up with Vanitas after school and Axel wasn't available as he and Roxas had ditched school hours prior.   
He looked over at Riku who was checking his blindspot out the window and Sora smiled. Despite the incidents that have occurred during their relationship, Sora would be lying if he didn't say that he was enjoying Riku being his boyfriend. He was showing him the good side of all the kissing and touches. And after the couch incident, Riku had made a point to let Sora control the make out sessions that came after that, and they did come after that, but it was quicker than what most people would call a make out session. Truth be told, Sora just didn't really like PDA, so he kept them to a minimum even when they were alone. He hoped it wasn't hurting Riku's feelings. He liked the feeling of Riku's lips against his own.   
Riku felt the presence of someone staring at him as he drove so when they hit a red light, he turned towards the culprit who blushed and looked out the window. Riku had a slight idea to pinch his cheek just to make it redder. Sora had no idea how cute he looked when he was blushing, or when he was giggling, the latter being Riku's weakness. Riku grinned as he peeped the necklace hanging out of Sora's opened jacket. He's over the moon that Sora is upholding his promise and wearing it everyday. When school was back on that first day and he saw Sora showing it proudly to Kairi, Riku wanted to grab him and kiss him right there. But Sora didn't like PDA, so Riku just ambushed him with kisses later when they got to Sora's house.   
Riku only moved the car once someone behind him beeped at him after he didn't move once the light turned green.   
"You hungry?" Riku asked.  
"Huh? Oh, yes. Can we stop at Moe's?" Sora asked, his cheeks back to their normal color. Riku liked them better red.   
"You have an unnatural craving for tacos, just to let you know," Riku laughed as he turned down another road to make the detour. He hoped there wasn't a line at the drive thru or else Cloud adn Leon might kill him for not getting Sora home quickly.   
"It has everything you could ever want in a taco bowl. What's more perfect than that?" Sora asked.  
"I don't know. Point taken," Riku said quickly as his brain went somewhere past PG-13 when he thought of what was more perfect than that.   
"Since we're making a detour, I have some to ask you something," Riku said.  
"Like what?" Sora asked. He was always a little weary when Riku said he had questions to ask. Sora never knew how much he had to lie, and it never made him feel good. He hoped it was something small enough so he could still eat his taco bowl without feeling guilty.   
"Have you had any more nightmares lately?" Riku asked. Truth be told, he had been a little worried since that night he had to step in and help Sora through one. If they got worse than that, Riku could only imagine what actually happens.   
Sora blinked. Was that all? He could tell the truth about that.  
"I haven't, actually," Sora said with a tiny smile.   
"Really?" Riku asked as he pulled into the left lane.  
"Yeah. I haven't had any since that night at dinner. It's quite a relief," Sora said happily. It was the truth as well and Sora was grateful for that. Now he could eat his taco bowl guilt free.   
"That is quite a relief" Riku repeated, "I felt like I stopped something drastic that night."  
Riku laughed and Sora had to force out one so he could stop himself from being a little upset about that comment. Riku had stopped something drastic that night.  
"I have another thing to ask you," Riku said. Now Sora was confused. What could he want now?   
"What is it?" Sora asked as they pulled into the Moe's drive thru at last.  
"Hold on," Riku said as he rolled down the window and said their order. He already knew what Sora wanted by this point as the boy never changed his order. After he order, he pulled up in the drive thru and waited for the person in front of him to pay before moving forward.  
"So how do you feel about possibly coming over to my house?" Riku asked. Sora blinked in surprise. What? Riku's house? He wanted Sora to come over to his house? He wasn't sure how to answer that. Being alone with Riku in Sora's house was one thing because he was within shouting distance of anyone. But he wouldn't have someone to shout to should something go wrong at Riku's house. They would be completely alone, and that wasn't something Sora was sure he was ready for. He trusted Riku enough to think that he wouldn't start anything unwanted, but that had wavered slightly since the couch incident. What if Riku only wanted him to come over so they could have sex? Sora was definitely not ready for that.   
Riku, sensing the hesitation as he expected, chimed back in, "Sora, you don't have to answer me right now. I just wanted to put the option out there. It also just kind of occurred to me that you've never been to my house. My mother keeps an indoor garden that I think you would like to see."  
While the garden part was true, Riku also honestly just wanted to have Sora to himself. He wasn't planning to even do anything, he just for once didn't want anyone around who he had to worry about not pissing off. While Riku was grateful for Sora's little rather overprotective circle of friends, he felt that he's been through enough trials to have earned some actual alone time with the brunette. He had enjoyed their time out on Ventus's patio that new years, even though it was under unwanted circumstances and he had unintentionally made Sora cry. Plus, Riku had a sly notion that if he actually got Sora alone with him, then maybe he would be a bit more open about himself. Riku wasn't planning to push him, but he felt maybe Sora didn't feel comfortable sharing things with him because everyone else was always around. The first sign of that was when they had first kissed in the tea shop, where Sora had gave some slight insight into his past relationship which was still a foggy situation to Riku. He hoped for results such as that if they were truly alone. He's not trying to be nosy, but he wants Sora to know he can talk to him.   
Riku soon pulled into Sora's driveway and he kept the car running as he had somewhere to go after dropping Sora off.  
"Hey, like I said, you don't need to answer me right now. You can think on it, like last time," Riku said. Sora nodded and smiled at him, grateful for the option out. He let Riku kiss him on the forehead before he gout out the car. Riku smiled. That was one of the few PDA things Sora was okay with. Car kisses didn't make him feel weird because nobody could really see it, and that was fine with him. But Riku also had a sneaking suspicion that Sora liked the forehead kisses more a lot. He waved before pulling off and driving away as Sora went into the house.  
"Is that you, Sora?" Cloud called from the other room, cleaning the table.  
"Yeah," Sora called, though it was half as happy. He was still thinking about Riku's offer, and though he liked that Riku gave him the option to back out, part of him only wanted to do so, but the other part of him was nervous about going. Cloud came in and immediately saw something was wrong based on Sora's facial expression.  
"What's going on?" Cloud asked, thinking something bad happened at school.   
"Riku wants me to go over his house," Sora said.  
\---  
"You look comfy," Riku said as he came home to find his uncle Xemnas on the couch in sweats. He looked rather sweaty and Riku guessed he may have just come back from a run or had just taken a shower.  
"What took you so long to get home?" Xemnas asked as he changed the channel to the news. He hated watching the news but he never knew if his slut would ever pop up if found.   
Riku laughed. "I had to drop off my boyfriend but he wanted tacos first."  
"Boyfriend? I had no idea you were gay," Xemnas said, rather impressed with his nephew for hiding that so well if that's what he was doing.   
"That's because you're not around like that," Riku said.  
"Does this boyfriend have a name?" Xemnas asked. He was honestly curious. As far as he knew, no one in that family was gay or bi or anything except himself, so he was rather happy to learn of his nephew's preferred gender.   
"His name is none of your business," Riku replied with a laugh, "But if the Gods are in my favor, he may be coming over at some point this weekend."  
"I'm to assume you want me out of the way," Xemnas stated. It wasn't even a question. He knew that all too well.   
"Correct. I mean, you don't have to actually be out of the house, but if you could just make yourself invisible for a couple of hours, it wouldn't hurt," Riku responded. He couldn't quite explain why, but he had this strange feeling in the back of his mind that Sora shouldn't meet his uncle. He may try to recruit him for those strip clubs because of how cute he was. Riku wasn't having any of that.   
Xemnas snorted. "Is the kid that shy?"  
"Not really. It's just that he takes a minute to get used to people. I don't want to make him uncomfortable and let's face it uncle, you look rather intimidating," Riku explained. Xemnas laughed. That was very much true. That was his favorite aspect of himself.   
"Fine, I'll be out the way" Xemnas agreed, "I'll take the back stairway if I need to go into the kitchen." Riku smiled.  
"This is why you're my favorite uncle," Riku said before heading upstairs.   
\---  
_Ventus woke up on the floor. He squinted his eyes open, and realized that the room was barely lit. It only had two light bulbs hanging from the ceiling and they were dim already. He immediately recognized he was in one of the school's storage rooms._  
 _"About time. I was starting to think it was too strong for you," he heard a voice say before a head covered one of the lights and he saw Saix staring down at him. Ventus immediately tried to get up before failing and realizing that his hands were tied behind his back. How did he not notice that before?_  
 _Saix was joined by the two boys from earlier, and Ventus glared at them all._  
 _"What's going on? Untie me!" Ventus said. If this was how they jumped people, they needed a new method._  
 _"I already told you, blondie. I don't like taking no for an answer," Saix said, "That's why I was jealous when I saw who you really liked."_  
 _Ventus was quiet. Wait, what?_  
 _"What?" Ventus asked._  
 _"Oh, I saw your little confession earlier. So you have the hots for Vanitas, huh?" Saix asked, laughing. Ventus's face went red but he blamed it on the rage he was holding in. He had seen that?! And now he was jealous? Of course, there would be no other reason for whatever was going on right now._  
 _"Shut up! That's none of your business, you jealous prick," Ventus spat at him._  
 _"Someone looks hurt" one of the boys joked. Saix smiled._  
 _"You don't need to worry Vanitas, blondie. We're here to make up for Vanitas's cruel rejection," Saix said as the other two boys walked to Ventus's sides. Ventus thought about what he said for a moment, and then it came like a lightning strike on what they were planning to do to him. He started struggling anew, even managing to sit up._  
 _"Let me go! Now!" Ventus yelled. Saix used his foot to push him back on the ground and he sat on top of him._  
 _"We'll let you go when we're done," Saix replied coldly before forcing his lips against the blonde's roughly._   
\---  
"Do you think it's a wise idea, or is it too soon?" Cloud asked as he and Leon got into bed for the night. When Leon had arrived home, Cloud explained to him what Sora had told him about Riku wanting him to come to his house. Leon had kind of expected that by this point. When he and Cloud had started dating, both of them were moved out on their own, but Leon had always wanted Cloud over his place versus Cloud's.   
"I'll be honest about this, I don't want Sora to go," Cloud said flatly, "He would be by himself and even though I like to believe Riku wouldn't do anything, it's still iffy. We don't know what that boy does on his own time."  
"While I agree on that matter, Sora and Riku have been alone before. They've gone on two dates. The real matter is the location of Riku's house" Leon said, "It's closer inside the city than Ventus's is. We're still trying to keep Sora out of the main city after that whole new years fiasco. Just to keep his profile low."  
"But I think his house would also be empty. Didn't Riku say his parents travel for work?" Leon added.  
"That's true...I'm still not too sure about it," Cloud said. It's not that Cloud didn't trust Riku, but he and Leon were still under the notion that Sora's abductor was still looking for him. They knew they couldn't hide him forever, but if they could hide him long enough until Sora was ready to go to the police and expose himself then that's what they planned to do. They were hoping they could catch him themselves without Sora even having to go to the police. That would put him name everywhere, and it would take no time at all for the man to find him. If the incident last month was anything to go by, the man was still looking for Sora, and he had sent out people to do that job.   
"How about this" Leon started, "We let Sora go over there by himself for two hours. After that, the rest of the boys join them and they spend the night."  
Cloud thought about that for a minute. That sounded better, and he knew Vanitas would pummel Riku should something go too far. And Sora would probably feel a lot more comfortable knowing he wouldn't be alone with Riku for so long.   
"That sounds good. Let's go with that," Cloud smiled. He was ready to lay down before he realized the most important thing.  
"Wait, has Sora even decided if he's going or not?" Cloud asked. Leon rolled over, saying he knew they were forgetting something. Cloud got up out of bed.  
Sora was trying to get to sleep, but he couldn't shake the fact that Riku most likely wanted him at his house so they could have sex. Sora knew he wasn't ready for that. That much was very clear. He's only ever known it to be painful, and he was only slightly aware that it wasn't always supposed to feel like that, if Roxas's moans that night were anything to go by. But the act of sex still scares Sora as it's still too closely associated with his master. It brought back painful and shame filled memories that already assaulted him in his dreams and on a daily basis as a reminder of who he really was.   
The second reason was becaues of who he was. Leon and Cloud had made good on their promise, and they had nursed Sora back to health, which he was extremely grateful for. But he still had scars and bruises. Sora absentmindedly rubbed his hand over the scar on his hip, the one Riku almost saw that night Sora wouldn't sleep for fear of a nightmare. Sora didn't want Riku to see any of his scars. He would hate it, Sora even hated his own body. He knows its ugly, and the last thing he wanted to do was embarrass and humiliate himself in front of Riku.   
A knock on the door tore him out of his thoughts as he told them they could come in, knowing it was either Cloud or Leon. The door opened and it was Cloud.  
"Did you make a decision about Riku's house?" Cloud asked. Sora shook his head sadly. Cloud came and sat on the edge of the bed.   
"Well, Leon and I came up with a solution, if it sounds good to you," Cloud offered.  
"What is it?" Sora asked.  
"How about you only go to Riku's house by yourself for two hours? The boys can come over afterwards and that way you'll be around your friends and you can all spend the night?" Cloud explained. Sora smiled at that. He loved that idea! That way, he wouldn't hurt Riku's feelings by saying no, and that wouldn't provide Riku the opportunity to have sex, as two hours wasn't enough in Sora's knowledge. Sora would be just fine.  
"I like that idea a lot. Thanks Cloud," Sora said, giving him a hug. Cloud nods before wishing him goodnight and closing the door behind him, happy that the newest situation was solved. Sora took his phone off the dresser and text Riku. His house wasn't an issue anymore.  
\---  
Xemnas could've killed his henchman for coming at this hour of the night, knocking on Riku's door. He was lucky Xemnas was downstairs and opened it, or else it would've been a very awkward conversation between him and his nephew as to why people were showing up at his house at two in the morning, especially when he found out why he was there. The man had given him a fat envelope, and when he opened it, he found picutres upon pictures of people during new years eve. Someone had snapped clear pictures of people in the crowds and Xemnas beamed, hoping that maybe he would've found his slut among the crowd. But he's checked the pictures numerous times now for the last two hours, and he couldn't find him in the crowd of photos. He found his nephew in two of the photos, which he found rather amusing. At least he knew where Riku was on new years. He couldn't tell who was standing next to him, as a rather fat faced person was standing in front of that person. In one of the other photos he put aside for the time being was a cute looking blonde with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes, standing next to some red headed guy. Xemnas liked the look of the blonde. He kind of resembled his slut a bit, and the kid could definitely serve as a substitute until he found the brat.

_That's it for this chapter! I know this chapter is rather short but I needed the buffer before the next chapter! I also apologize for the delay, as I've been cast in a show so it took me a while to get back to this but not that the show is underway, I've found my rhythm again. Ventus's flashbacks will continue as more of his story is exposed. In the next chapter, Sora goes to Riku's house while Xemnas is still in the house! And we find out how Ventus failed to tell Demyx, his first go to, about what happened. And scary Xemnas is considering Roxas! Will he try to pursue the blonde? Stay Tuned! Poof!_


	36. Experimental Choices

EXPERIMENTAL CHOICES

_I don't own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or their characters. This fic is purely for fun._

  
Riku isn't exactly thrilled about only having two hours with Sora before everyone else comes over, but he put it aside for now. At least Sora was coming to his house at all, and that was the real solution he was looking for. He also thought that Ventus may even like his house, seeing as it's almost as empty as his so maybe he wouldn't feel so isolated. The only difference is lately his uncle Xemnas has been treating it like a halfway point when he comes back between cities. Said uncle came in from the kitchen, eating a sandwich. Riku only noticed him because he heard the refrigerator door close. He was busy cleaning the full length attach to the wall in the living room. Xemnas paused as he watched his nephew clean.   
"You're not letting the maids clean? This boyfriend must be special," Xemnas chuckled.  
"That's not really the case, but he is a little important to me," Riku replied as he threw out another paper towel. He made a mental note to buy more of those before the maids killed him for using up all the paper towels while they were off.   
"Besides, it's not like this will be his first time seeing a house this huge. Another friend of his has a house just as big and just as empty of people," Riku said.   
"Really? Who?" Xemnas asked, a little interested.   
"Nobody you know," Riku shot back. He had no idea why his uncle was being so nosy. It reminded him of his parents whenever they were home. They just had to know everything!  
"Alright, alright" Xemnas said, "Listen, I'll be upstairs for the most part but I'm leaving in an hour."  
"Great," Riku said, actually happy about that. That meant that Xemnas would only be here for the first hour of Sora arriving. Riku still couldn't shake the feeling that Sora shouldn't be around his uncle. His uncle looked rather scary to the untrained eye and with how Sora was, it spelled nothing but disaster.   
Xemnas closed the door upstairs just as the doorbell rang. Riku went to open it and it was Sora, who was holding a container.  
"Hey," Riku said, smiling.  
"Hi" Sora said before turning to the car that dropped him off, "Bye, Cloud!"  
"Have fun!" Cloud said, and he waved at the two of them as they drove off. Riku stepped aside so Sora could come in before closing the door.  
"What's in the box?" Riku asked.  
"Oh, Leon brought home some brownines from his job and thought that we might want them," Sora explained.  
"Leon knows me too well. Brownies are a huge weakenss," Riku said.  
"Really? I'll keep that in mind," Sora giggled. Riku took a breath. That damn giggle.   
"Keep in mind for what?" Riku asked, his interest peaked.  
"Your house doesn't look anything like Ventus's" Sora said, dodging Riku's question purposely, "I can't see your stairs from the living room."  
"That's because they're behind the wall of the living room," Riku explained, pointing to his right.   
"Where's your dining room?" Sora asked. Riku's house really looked nothing like Ventus's.  
"In between the kitchen and the living room," Riku replied. Sora nodded.  
"Ventus's dining room is on the side where you stairs are," Sora mentioned.  
"Are you criticizing my house?" Riku asked jokingly.   
"Well, it definitely looks less formal," Sora laughed.  
"That's because my parents actually come to visit quite a bit. Unlike Ventus's from what I've heard," Riku said.   
"Are your parents here now?" Sora asked as he sat down on the couch, putting the brownies on the coffee table.  
"Nah. But my uncle is visiting. So don't get spooked if you hear someone in the kitchen," Riku said. Sora nodded before he sprung up.  
"Speaking of the kitchen, can we actually put these in the kitchen? I don't want them to get mushy," Sora said, picking up the brownie container. Riku nodded and walked him to the kitchen.   
"Do you prefer grape juice or apple juice?" Riku asked as he pulled out two glasses from the cabinet. He already knew to grab the animal crackers. He had only bought them because he knew Sora liked them.   
"Grape juice. Thank you," Sora said. Riku poured them both a glass and handed one to Sora before making their way back to the living room. However, Sora paused when he noticed something sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. It was a black leather belt coiled up. The belt looked rather worn, like it had seen better days. It had a gold clasp but the clasp looked a little worn as well, rusting a bit.   
Sora didn't know why, but he felt like he's seen that belt before.   
Before he could think on it, Riku called him into the living room and Sora left. As he left the kitchen, Xemnas came into the kitchen from the back stairs, wearing headphones and looking for said belt. He lifted it up and pulled it through his belt loops. If the belt was facing the other way, Sora would've immediately recognized the belt as the front of the belt had Xemnas's initials, followed by a skull sign. The belt was customized for him specifically, and Sora knew that belt well as Xemnas always hit him with it. Xemnas grabbed a fruit off the table before going back upstairs.   
"What are we watching?" Sora asked as he came back into the living room. He sat down on the couch next to Riku but put the bowl of animal crackers between them. He noticed that it was a little bit colder in Riku's house than it should be for it being winter outside still.   
"Didn't pick anything. You want to watch Hey Arnold?" Riku asked.   
Sora shook his head, "That's okay. I kind of reserve that for me and Vanitas."  
"You two are really close, aren't you?" Riku asked. He already knew the two were close, but to resesrve a television show just for a person was a bit much. Sora nodded.  
"We've been close for as long as I can remember," Sora said, and it was the truth. Afterall, the only memories he had of his life without that man only included Vanitas, and it was the show Hey Arnold that made Sora regain his memory of Vanitas. The show had a special place in his heart.   
"Well, I guess I can't be jealous then. Vanitas can have the tv show all he wants" Riku said, before he leaned over and kissed Sora, manuevering the animal cracker bowl to the table, "He can't do that so I'll call it a fair trade." Sora giggled. Riku was going to need him to stop doing that. It was going to get him in some lovely trouble.   
\---  
 _Ventus is in his room, sitting on the floor trying to recollect himself. He wasn't even sure how he actually got home that day but he knows that he forced himself to walk home, even though it was far as hell. After being rejected by Vanitas yet again to even talk to him, Ventus had skipped the next two days of school. He couldn't focus straight. He couldn't fully process what had happened. Had that really just happened to him? Did Saix and those other guys really do that?_  
 _All he did was tell Saix that he wasn't interested._  
 _And he got raped for it. Hell, he was gangbanged._  
 _Ventus had probably spent hours in the shower when he got home, but no matter how much he scrubbed he wasn't able to erase the feeling of their hands all over him. He spent a majority of his day sitting in the damn tub, just staring at the ceiling. He barely ate anything in the past two to three days, but he couldn't force himself to eat a full meal. Everytime he put something in his mouth, he felt sick to his stomach and he ended up hacking up nothing and heaving._  
 _Vanitas wasn't answering his messages or his phone calls, and it was driving Ventus up a wall. He wasn't even upset anymore that Vanitas had turned him down, hell he expected that outcome, but now he actually needed Vanitas, his best friend, and he was avoiding him like the plague. He couldn't handle this on his own. He couldn't even go to school for fear of running into Saix now. It had nothing to do with Vanitas at this point._  
 _He had to talk to someone. He wasn't strong enough to deal with this on his own._  
 _He crawled over to his bed and winced. Even after a few days, his legs still hurt from the brutal force that he was tied up and taken. That was another reason why he hadn't gone to school. Walking was rather painful, which is why he didn't remember how he had gotten home. He picked up his phone and decided to call Demyx. If anyone was the easiest to approach with this situation, it had to have been Demyx. He was the most easy going. Ventus could talk to him._  
 _"Hey, Ven! How's it going?" Demyx's chipper voice replied._  
 _"Hey, Demyx," Ventus said._  
 _"It's good to hear from you. You feeling alright?" Demyx asked. He had been worried about him when he hadn't shown up for school._  
 _"Yeah. I just wasn't feeling very well. You know me and my four year old immune system," Ventus tried to joke._  
 _"Well, that's good that you sound better. I didn't want to believe what Vanitas was claiming," Demyx said._  
 _"What do you mean?"_  
 _"He's been saying that the only reason you're not here is because you're avoiding him," Demyx explained._  
 _"Avoiding him? He's been the one ignoring my text messages and phone calls!" Ventus said rather angrily._  
 _"Hey, don't shoot the messenger!" Demyx said._  
 _"Right. Sorry. Listen, that aside, I need to talk to you," Ventus said._  
 _"Sure, what's u-Zexy!" Demyx suddenly yelled happily into the phone. Ventus groaned. Zexion must've just gotten in._  
 _"Hey, Ven, can this wait? Zexion just got in!" Demyx said excitedly. Ventus paused. What? No, he had to talk to him!_  
 _"What? No, Dem, don't hang up," Ventus said._  
 _"Come on, Ventus, I'll call you later. I haven't seen Zexion in like two weeks. I'll call you back. Promise!" Demyx said happily._  
 _"Demyx, wait-" Ventus was too late as he heard the beep from the other line. He set his phone down. He could survive. Zexion would stay three hours at most and then Demyx would call him back. He could survive another three hours. It wasn't a big deal. He just had to find a way to distract himself. Demyx would call back in a few hours._  
 _Demyx never called back that night._  
\---  
"Riku, your house really shouldn't be this cold in the midst of winter," Sora commented as he snuggled closer to his boyfriend on the couch. After Sora complained about being cold, Riku went and got a cover from the downstairs closet. The two were now snuggled against each other on the couch under one blanket, and Sora was comfortable with the warmth of the cover on his front and Riku's body on his back. It felt quite nice.   
"Honestly, I never noticed it was cold" Riku said, "But I'm quite fine with it. Afterall, if it was warm enough then we wouldn't currently be cuddling."   
"I guess that's true," Sora smiled.  
"Does that mean I'm forgiven about the couch incident?" Riku asked. Sora frowned his eyebrows. While he had not forgotten about said incident, he didn't really think Riku should have to apologize. After all, how was he to know that it would freak Sora out?  
"I mean there's no need to apologize, but you're forgiven," Sora said quietly. Riku sighed in relief.  
"Good" Riku said, "I really didn't mean to do that, by the way. I guess I forgot who I was dating for a minute there."  
"What do you mean?" Sora asked, confused.   
"Nothing, really. It's just that you aren't really okay with a lot of stuff that couples normally do and I momentarily forgot about that. I've also never dated somebody who came with their own personal bodyguard. Vanitas should get a badge," Riku joked at the end. He realized that Sora wasn't laughing, and Riku realizes that he may have said the wrong thing just now.   
"Oh," was all Sora said. Riku wanted to kick himself. He didn't mean to hurt his feelings.  
"It's not a bad thing" Riku said, trying to rectify the situation, "I'm completely fine with it. I wouldn't have tried so hard to get you to go out with me if it bothered me."  
"Does that mean you're not upset that we haven't had sex yet?" Sora asked. Riku blinked. Whoa, what?  
"Uh...I wasn't even thinking that far," Riku admitted. He truly wasn't. He knew Sora wasn't ready for sex. Why was Sora even thinking that far?!  
"That's a relief" Sora said with a tiny smile, "To be honest, I thought that's what you were planning when you invited me to your house to be alone." Sora back at Riku and was surprised to see Riku's confused expression. Did he jump the gun that much?   
"Sora, where did you get that idea?" Riku asked, completely dumbfounded. He just wanted to spend some alone time with his boyfriend, and said boyfriend was assuming he wanted sex?!   
"Well, I was cleaning my room a while ago and I came across these BL collections that Leon had lying in a box-"  
"What?! Leon has a BL collection!?" Riku asked, laughing.   
"Why does everyone laugh when I tell them that?" Sora asked, honestly not finding what was so funny about it.  
"How long did it take in the novels?" Riku asked, moving the conversation back to the topic.  
"About the same time we've currently been dating," Sora admitted, "So I got nervous."  
"Don't be" Riku said, rubbing his shoulders, "We're taking this at your pace, remember? There's no rush for anything like that. Although, since we're on the subject, we should probably figure a few things out."  
"Huh?" Sora asked.   
"Well, I don't really want another scene happening like it did that night. I know you're not okay with everything, but the problem I don't know exactly what those things are that you are and aren't okay with. Get me?" Riku asked, hoping he made that sound clear. Sora slowly nodded. That much was true.   
"But Riku, even I don't know what I'm comfortable and not comfortable with" Sora replied sadly, "I don't really know until it happens. My body just...reacts."  
"Well, I think I know one thing you don't like" Riku said, "You don't like sitting on me."  
"What are you talking about? I'm sitting on you right now," Sora said, confused and a little offended.   
"No, I mean...it's not really a big deal-actually it's not a deal at all, but I don't think you want to sit on me...with your front to me. I mean, I kind of gave you the upper hand to do that that night and you chose this position instead. Nothing was wrong with it but it was just something I noticed," Riku explained, hoping he didn't sound like the biggest asshole that ever existed. He truly wasn't bothered by it, but if it was something that bothered Sora, he wanted to be sure so he would never try to do that until he was ready for it.   
Sora, knowing that what Riku just was true and there was no point in lying about, nodded with guilt. He and Riku have snuggled quite a bit, but he's never sat with his front to Riku's front.   
"Do you want me to sit on you like that?" Sora asked. Riku blinked. Wow, that was quicker than he was expecting.  
"Uh-I-I mean, it's not that drastic. You can if you want to..." Riku said, fumbling his own response. He didn't want to push Sora into doing this but maybe this was something that if he could get past, he would be okay with a lot more other things. Baby steps.   
"You're giving me way too much freedom in all of this," Sora said, but a little giggle escaped his lips nonetheless.  
"That's quite fine," Rik said. He moved the covers and sat up, moving Sora with him. Sora then realized that Riku intended for him to sit on his lap like that. Right now.   
Sora suddenly lost his voice. He hadn't expected Riku wanted him to try right now. Now he's more nervous than he actually should be. The suddeness of the situation made him hesitate greatly. Riku watched as the the nerves rolled their ways through Sora's facial expressions and he knew he had to help with this. He held out his hand to Sora, who stared at it for only a moment before grabbing onto it. Riku only pulled gently, carefully guiding Sora back towards him. Sora slowly put his left leg over both Riku's legs and let Riku pull him to the center. Once Sora was in the middle, there was an awkward silence as Sora wasn't even fully sitting. His hands were on Riku's shoulders and he could feel the brunette shaking ever so slightly.   
Sora hadn't expected the reaction he was having to being in this position right now. There wasn't a sense of fear where there usually was when he was forced to sit on the man's lap. He also noticed that Riku wasn't touching him anymore, and he mentally thanked him at his proactiveness. That was one of the main reasons why Sora didn't like this position. There were too many things a person could do to him and touch him with their hands while in this position, and there were definitely a few things Sora didn't want Riku to do at all.   
"You okay?" Riku asked softly, finally breaking the silence. He was only quiet to let Sora get used to being there. Sora nodded but for some reason Riku wasn't convinced by that. He tilted Sora's face up to him.   
"You can get off if you're uncomfortable" Riku offered, "I just don't want you to be scared of being near me."  
"I'm not scared of you" Sora said,"It's just that...I don't have the greatest experiences...in this position. I just need to relax." It was the truth. In any normal circumstance that was Sora's life, he would be naked and so would the man and by this point he would be threatened into riding his cock until he got tired. Just because he and Riku were clothed didn't mean the memory wasn't there.   
"Do you want me to help?" Riku asked. Sora wasn't really sure what Riku could even do to help, but he nodded nonetheless. The help was much wanted.   
Riku placed his hands on both sides of Sora's cheeks and he pulled him in for a soft kiss. In truth, Riku wasn't really sure how this was supposed to help Sora, but he figured that if he kept him occupied with something else, then the task at hand wouldn't seem so bad.   
Sora kissed him back, thinking along the same lines of distraction, and it ends up working, as the more they kissed, Sora's nerves relaxed and so did his body. Riku pretty soon felt the added weight of Sora fully sitting on him and he smiled into the kisses. He kept his hands on his face though. He wasn't sure how into the kisses Sora was at this point, and he didn't want to ruin where they were at right now. Noting that Sora is no longer shaking, he breaks the kiss and asks if he's okay.   
Sora looked down and realized that he doesn't feel weird about where he's sitting at right now. He's still nervous because he can feel it in his cheeks, but it's not a bad nervous. Rather proud of himself, Sora looks back up at Riku and smiles brightly before catching Riku off guard and continuing to kiss him. While Riku is enjoying this immensely, he has also noticed that it's been past two hours. Where were the others? Not that he was about to complain. He and Sora wouldn't even be snuggling on the couch if the others were here, let alone Sora on his lap right now making out with him.   
Riku was torn out of his thoughts when he felt a warm and wet thing slide across his lips. Was that what he thought it was? He felt it again and if he had the ability to do a cartwheel he definitely would right now. Riku opened his mouth and he gladly welcomed Sora's tongue into his mouth. He was being spoiled tonight. Since when was Sora okay with giving tongue? Was this always a thing?   
Sora's not really sure what made him act so bravely just now, but he was curious as to what the inside of Riku's mouth tasted like, so he just decided to do it. He was still in control of this situation. A shiver went up his spine when Riku actually opened his mouth and he felt Riku's tongue brush against his own. But this was okay. Hell, he started that one. And he liked it. He actually wanted to find out how far he could push himself before it became too much.   
Riku knew he should probably just leave it to this but he didn't know when he was going to get another chance to experiment like this. Not to mention Sora was acting rather forward and he didn't know how much longer they had alone.   
Sora senseed Riku's hands were somewhere else before they actually placed themselves there. Riku had placed them on the sides of Sora's ribcage, above his waist. He was testing the waters right now and he knew that. Sora hesitated in the kiss for only a moment before deciding everything was fine and he calmed down. The touch wasn't threatening. He was fine. To distract himself, he wrapped his arms around Riku's neck, unbeknownst to him that Riku liked that a lot. So Sora wanted to be closer? He could do that.   
Riku did his next move so slowly that he wasn't even sure he actually did it. He trailed his hands down Sora's side until they finally landed on th brunette's waist. He paused there for a long moment, deciding to ravish Sora's mouth with his tongue so Sora could get used to his hands being there. And then ever so slightly, he had pulled Sora further into his lap. He stopped right there. Anything after that was wading into dangerous waters and Riku didn't need Sora running away from him.   
Riku broke apart so the both of them could breathe.  
"You alright?" Riku asked, already wanted to reconnect their lips. Sora blinked a moment, trying to figure his brain out. He felt like he had just drank three beers, he felt buzzed. He wondered if this is what people were talking about when they talked about being in a daze when kissing someone. He briefly wondered what Riku was talking about, only to look down and see that Riku's hands were on his waist and he had somehow gotten further onto Riku's lap. He smiled a bit. He didn't mind that at all. Riku's hands hadn't dipped any further, and he was okay with that.   
"I'm fine," Sora said a little out of breath, and Riku laughs, glad that not only is Sora fine with this but that he also appears to be enjoying the make out session, as he's breathing heavy and his face is pink.   
He looked freaking adorable.   
"I'm glad" Riku said, "But there's one more thing I'd like to know."  
Before Sora can even ask what it is, Riku kissed him only briefly on the mouth before deciding to test his luck. He bent down and kissed Sora's neck.  
Sora gasped. He actually gasped. That sensation was completely brand new. He had only been kissed on the neck twice but it never came with the sensation Sora felt just now. It went all the way from the tip of his ears down to the bottom of his stomach. He gripped Riku's shoulder out of pure instinct. Riku, having only been encouraged by that noise, kissed his way down his neck to the junction between his neck and shoulder met.   
Sora did not understand that what he was feeling right now was arousal. But whatever it was, it was too good and there was suddenly way too much of it.   
Sora suddenly pushed Riku from him, sliding off his lap in the process.   
"Everything okay?" Riku asked, slightly alarmed. He knew he had pushed it a bit but he didn't think Sora would actually push him away. Sora's face is completely hot and he can feel his insides fluttering in a way he's never felt before.  
"Uh...I-I need to use the restroom," Sora fumbled out of his mouth before practically running to the bathroom Riku had on the first floor. Riku sat back on the couch and licked his lips. He quite liked the taste of Sora's skin but he greatly hoped that he hadn't crossed a line. He knew it might've been too much for the brunette. He heard thumping and looked over to find his uncle coming down the front stairs, his jacket already on.   
"I actually forgot you were here," Riku admitted. He hoped his uncle hadn't heard them making out down there.   
"Did my job well then. Listen, I'll be back later. Something came up" Xemnas said, putting on his shoes. He looked around. "Where's the boyfriend?"  
"In the bathroom" Riku replied, "I think I frightened him a bit."  
"What did you do? Open his pants?" Xemnas laughed.   
"No" Riku laughed, "But we were testing some waters. I think his past relationship was rather abusive so I'm being rather slow about everything."  
Xemnas paused as he went for the doorknob.   
"Abusive, you say? Abusive how?" Xemnas asked. Could it be?  
"I don't know if that's even true. I'm just taking a guess," Riku shrugged. Xemnas's curiosity dropped. It definitely wasn't his slut if his nephew was guessing. The scars he left on that brat were obvious. Xemnas waved before going out and leaving. Riku's phone started ringing.  
"Hello?" Riku asked.  
"Hey, how's everything going?" Axel's voice came through.  
"It's going great but where the hell are you guys? It's been well past two hours," Riku said, looking at the clock and outside. It was almost dark.   
"Well see, we decided that you clearly asked Sora over so the two of you could be alone. Eventually we convinced even Vanitas that Sora would be fine. So don't expect us tonight," Axel said.  
"Have I ever told you you're my second favorite person?" Riku beamed into the phone. Axel for the win!   
"Only all the time" Axel said, "Enjoy your alone time!"  
Meanwhile, Sora is in the bathroom trying to compose himself. He didn't understand why his body was so hot right now. He briefly thought back to the feeling of Riku's lips on his neck and he closed his eyes as another rush of that same sensation wrecked its way through him. He's only ever felt this way when he was drugged, and it was always good when he didn't want to be.  
Sora realized with a shock that it was arousal. He was aroused. He's never felt that out of being drugged. So that's what it felt like normally? And Riku did that just by kissing his neck?!   
Sora splashed some water on his face to cool his temperature before returning to the living room.  
"Can we call it quits for today?" Sora asked immediately when Riku saw him. Riku smiled. He didn't look mad at him so that was a good sign. He readjusted the covers and Sora smiled as they were going back to cuddling, with his front away from Riku's. He laid back against Riku's chest with happiness.  
"Did I go too far?" Riku asked, still a little worried that he ruined something. Sora shook his head.  
"Everything was fine...I just needed a moment...to get myself together," Sora said. Riku smiled to himself. Getting himself together? Could it be possible that he got his boyfriend aroused by his actions? He makes a mental note to save that for emergencies.  
Sora looked at the clock and realized that it was way past two hours and the boys hadn't shown up. But he decided that he was actually fine with that. He was enjoying his time with Riku. He didn't want them coming over.   
"Just so you know, I was okay with all of that" Sora explained.  
"Good because I was worried," Riku breathed a sigh of relief.  
"But...um, could we keep that...neck thing to a minimum? It's not that I don't like it-"  
"Don't worry about it. I got it," Riku said, pulling the brunette closer so he could kiss him on the top of his head. It wasn't his forehead but it was enough to calm the brunette. It's not that Sora didn't like it, but he wasn't exactly sure how to handle that much arousal attacking him and he felt rather guilty and embarrassed about it.   
'I'll leave it to our true alone time," Riku said and Sora smiled, nodding in agreement.   
\---  
 _Ventus should've known better than to try and tell Demyx. The blonde was so easily distracted that he really should've seen that coming. Demyx never responded and it had hurt his feelings before he concluded that Zexion was Demyx's love, and he couldn't be selfish and demand he listen to him._  
 _He and Roxas had just finished going to the movies, having seen a comedy, and as they got in the car, Ventus decided that maybe a fellow blonde would listen to him. Roxas had a bit more compassion. And Axel also wasn't around to distract him._  
 _"Ventus, you've been in such a good mood and honestly, I'm glad about it" Roxas said as they got in the car, "I was worried about you after that whole thing with Vanitas."_  
 _"Everyone can stop thinking I'm still on that. The matter was addressed. It's over and done with," Ventus said even though he knew it was a lie. But he couldn't worry about that right now. He had another matter to attend to._  
 _"I apologize for not checking on you sooner. I assumed you wanted some space," Roxas admitted._  
 _"I did. Thank you," Ventus said. There's an odd silence in the car as Ventus is pondering how to bring up what happened with Roxas. Roxas looked over at him when he noticed that the car wasn't starting, and he knew Ventus looked like he was contemplating with something._  
 _"You look like you want to say something" Roxas said, "Is there something wrong?"_  
 _Ventus lets out a breath. "Something is wrong...but I'm not exactly sure how to talk about it." It was the truth. How the hell does one approach this topic? He couldn't outright say 'I turned this guy down in my grade and then he and two other men gangbanged me in the storage room'. That sounded insane._  
 _"Does it have something to do with Vanitas?" Roxas asked, hoping it didn't._  
 _"Not really," Ventus replied softly, still thinking about what to say. Before either can talk again, Ventus's phone goes off and he picks it up. It's Demyx. Did he remember to call him back after all?_  
 _"Hello?" Ventus asked._  
 _"Hey, Ven, where you at right now?" Demyx asked. Why did he sound nervous?_  
 _"I'm in my car, why?" Ventus asked, putting the phone on speaker so Roxas could hear._  
 _"Roxas isn't with you, is he?" Demyx asked._  
 _"Yes, I am, why?" Roxas suddenly asked loudly, suspicious that this somehow had to deal with Axel._  
 _"Oh fuck" Demyx cursed quietly, "Alright, look, I'm not sure how to say this so I'm just going to say it. Axel and I went to this concert and Axel got a little drunk and he ended up flirting with his blonde haired chick-"_  
 _"He what?!" Roxas yelled, "Where is he?"_  
 _"Snoring on my couch," Demyx said quickly._  
 _"Put him on the phone right now!" Roxas demanded. He was furious and Ventus knew it._  
 _"Rox, he's sleeping-"_  
 _"I don't give a fuck! Wake him up! Put him on the phone!" Roxas yelled. The two blondes waited as they heard a groggily voice finally get to the phone._  
 _"Who is it?" Axel yawned angrily into the phone._  
 _"Your boyfriend, you jackass!" Roxas shouted into the phone, taking it from Ventus, "Who the fuck were you flirting with at the concert?!"_  
 _"What? Why are you shouting?" Axel asked, still half asleep._  
 _"Don't what me! Who the fuck were you flirting with, you jerk?! And a chick?! As in a girl?! Are you serious!?" Roxas yelled._  
 _"Babe, babe, slow down, I'm like half asleep," Axel tried._  
 _"Who the fuck were you flirting with?" Roxas asked again. Demyx snatched the phone from Axel._  
 _"Roxas, I know you're like heavily pissed right now, but Axel is half asleep and I don't think you're going to get any coherent answers," Demyx reasoned._  
 _"Then you tell that asshole that when he wakes up tomorrow, calling me better be the first thing he fucking does!" Roxas threatened before hanging up the phone and sitting back in his seat, fuming. Ventus sighed. There goes his chance. There was no way he could talk to Roxas about what happened right now when he was mad at Axel. Way to go, Axel. Ventus pulled out of the parking lot and it was only then that Roxas remembered._  
 _"Oh, you were about to tell me something," Roxas said. Ventus shook his head._  
 _"Don't worry about it, Roxas. This isn't the time to discuss it," Ventus said. Not anymore._  
 _"No, seriously, what was it?" Roxas asked, but even he couldn't hide the fury that he had for his boyfriend right now. He wanted to pummel Axel right now._  
 _"We can talk later. Are you alright?" Ventus asked, steering the conversation back to Roxas, who for the remainder of the ride went off on a tyrant of curse words, threats to Axel, and eventually tears that Ventus had to actually pull over the car and comfort him at that point._  
 _Way to go, Axel. Way to go._  
\---  
Sora had fallen asleep on top of Riku again, but after being spoiled earlier, Riku didn't mind in the slightest. He still couldn't believe that he had actually managed to arouse Sora to the point where the boy had to compose himself in the bathroom. Riku wondered briefly it that meant that he had given him an erection but he didn't feel anything pressing against him so he wasn't that lucky. After he heard that gasp, he was kind of hoping that he would've pulled a moan out of him too, but again, that was asking for way too much. He suddenly heard the door open and Riku had no idea why he did it, but he threw the covers over Sora's head as his uncle walked through the front door. Xemnas took off his shoes and walked over to Riku. When he noticed the other body there covered by the blanket, he quirked an eyebrow.   
"Isn't he going to overheat like that?" Xemnas asked.   
"He sleeps like this at his own house, so I think he's used to it," Riku lied. Why the hell was so insistent on his uncle not seeing Sora? This was so strange.   
He felt Sora fidget in his sleep and he prayed to every god that he was not about to have a nightmare right now.   
"That's odd," Xemnas said, "But to each its own. I'm going to bed. Goodnight."  
"Night," Riku called as Xemnas went around the corner and up the stairs. Riku waited until he heard a door close before removing the covers so Sora wouldn't sweat, and he was relieved to see that Sora was sleeping peacefully once more. He had no idea where the nerve to cover Sora's face came from, but he ignored it. His gut was normally right, and if his gut was telling him to keep his uncle away from his boyfriend then he was going to follow it.

  
 _Okay, that's it for this chapter! Ventus can just not catch a break, can he? And Sora and Riku were getting hot and heavy! How long will Riku listen to his instincts? In the next chapter, we continue with Ventus's many trials and fails. His next hope is Vanitas! And present day Ventus and Vanitas have another go at each other, but why? And will Vanitas finally push Ventus to confess, or will it only push Ventus over the edge? Also, Sora and Riku's relationship comes crashing down, but from what? They were doing so good! Stay tuned! Poof!_


	37. The Truth Shall Set You Free?

THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE?  
 _Disclaimer:_  
 _I don't own nor have the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy. This fic is purely for fun._

  
"So how was your alone time?" Axel asked as he basically threw his entire bag into his locker. It was Monday morning and he and Riku were at each other's lockers, Axel immediately saying he wanted details upon Riku barely getting a 'good morning' past his lips.   
"First, let me thank the awesome friend that lives inside of you for providing me that well deserved alone time" Riku said, playfully bowing towards Axel, "It gave free way to much opportunity. I would say we accomplished quite bit."  
"Is that so? I need elaboration," Axel asked, completely curious. He knew Riku wasn't talking about sex, so what was he possibly talking about? He pouted as Riku shook his head.   
"No can do" Riku said, "But I'll tell you this; Sora and I figured a few things out. Where some things can and can't go. But that's as much as you're getting from me."   
"With Sora, that's not very much," Axel snorted, making Riku laugh. Said brunette and Roxas come down the hall.  
"Have either of you seen Ventus?" Roxas asked after a quick round of 'hellos' and 'how are yous'.  
"I saw him in the parking lot earlier with Vanitas, but I haven't seen them since," Riku explained.   
"Probably making out somewhere," Axel mumbled loud enough for it to not exactly to be a mumble. Roxas smacked his arm.   
"It's jokes like that that keep getting you in trouble," Roxas warned.   
"What keeps Axel getting into trouble? Besides his face?" Vanitas's voice suddenly asked from turning the corner, Ventus in tow.   
"Where were you two all weekend?" Axel asked, side swiping Vanitas's question.   
"I was home," Ventus said as if that was obvious.  
"I was visiting relatives, nosy," Vanitas replied. He turned from the pyro completely and towards his cousin, "You had a good weekend?"   
Riku had to smirk. He knew Vanitas was talking about the alone time that he most certainly was not fond of agreeing to. He needed a reason to hit the silver haired kid, but too bad for Vanitas because Riku knew Sora would never tell him exactly what they did. Or anything that involved what happened on the couch.   
"I was fine" Sora said, then he turned to Ventus, "Hey, Ven, you and Riku's house both have an indoor patio."   
"They're popular with people who want to be a part of nature but not actually be in nature. It's quite snobby," Ventus said. Ventus realizes that he has to play nice with the brunette, else he hurt Sora's feelings again and he tells Vanitas the truth about what he really said to him.   
While he and Sora actually had a converation, Vanitas pulled Riku to the side when no one was paying attention.   
"So what did you do to my cousin on Saturday?" Vanitas asked. Riku would've been impressed with Vanitas's forwardness had he had not seen this coming. He put his hands up in fake surrender.  
"Vanitas, I promise you that nothing in your imagination was even close to happening" Riku said, "Matter of fact, Sora was more interested in the animal crackers and the greenhouse than trying to do anything with me. Honest." Riku knew it wasn't the complete truth, but Sora really was excited about the greenhouse, and he took the bag of animal crackers home with him when Cloud came to pick him up.   
Vanitas studied his face trying to see some hint of deception. Even when he saw none, his eyes still didn't show any less menace.  
"Don't expect a second opportunity. Keep your 'imaginative' hands to yourself," Vanitas scowled. Riku salutes him as his agreement before walking away.   
"You want me to walk you to class?" Riku asked Sora, who had just finished his conversation with Ventus, who was grateful for the end of it. Sora nodded and Riku, just to piss Vanitas off, kissed Sora flat on the forehead before grabbing his hand and walking down the hall. He turned his head to see a seething black haired human being staring daggers at him.  
"You only said my hands," Riku said to himself before smiling.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"Huh? Nothing," Riku said.   
"That's what you get for leaving them alone," Ventus said, noticing the exchange that happened between the silverette and his best friend.   
"I was out voted" Vanitas said, "But how were you this weekend? You barely text me."   
Ventus shrugged, "I was fine. Just relaxing." For once, it was actually the truth. He did some yoga, listened to a few podcasts, and he even went to the aquarium just because he felt like it. He would've drove himself to New York to see a Broadway show had Hamilton not been sold out. He waved Vanitas goodbye before he could ponder him for more details, and he pulled out his phone when he was out of sight. He remembered that he had some important questions to ask a certain brunette. Vanitas was still being nice to him, and Ventus knew it was because of what Vanitas thinks he told Sora. The lie Sora had now added unto his plate of disaster.  
\---  
Sora felt his phone vibrate as they sat down for class. He groaned silently at the vibration. He didn't want to look at his phone right now, he could feel a headache coming on.   
_V: Why did you lie?_  
 _S: Huh? About what?_  
 _V: New Years Eve. I didn't apologize to you and you know it._  
 _S: I...I didn't want anyone to be mad at you anymore, okay? Tensions were really bad and I didn't like it. I would rather they think something good happened._  
 _V: Oh, please. You made everything worse. Vanitas now has this huge assumption that you and I are friends, which we aren't._  
 _S: I was trying to create a safe time for you._  
 _V: What?_  
 _S: If Vanitas doesn't think you did anything wrong, then maybe it would provide you the time you needed to possibly talk to him._  
 _V: Who said I was still trying to talk to him?!_  
 _S: You told me you'd keep trying._  
 _V: I never promised that! Keep out of my business! I don't need your help!_  
 _S: Does that mean you've given up?_  
Sora waits, his headache growing, but Ventus never responds. While Sora was sad about possbily really making the situation worse, he was glad that his was no longer vibrating. He didn't feel very well.   
_Flashback_  
 _Ventus was pacing his living room, waiting for Vanitas. After two weeks of silence, Ventus was finally able to get Vanitas to grace him with his presence. Ventus still wasn't sure if Vanitas was actually going to show up, but he had finalyl text him back, so maybe he actually had this chance now?_  
 _When he heard the doorbell ring, his heart almost jumped out of his skin. Didn't Vanitas have a key to his house? Or did he purposely not bring it?_  
 _Ventus went to open the door and he could already tell that Vanitas was still in no mood to talk to him as he walked right past him without so much as greeting him. Ventus closed the door slowly. This was going to take forever. He knew Vanitas still didn't want to talk to him, but he keeps seeing Saix in the hallways every day and it's driving him up a wall. He wanted nothing more than to see Vanitas tear him to shreds and Ventus would just bail him out of jail later if he tried to murder him. Especially after this morning. Saix had cornered him in the hallway just to literally scare him, and with Ventus being as pathetic as he was, it worked._  
 _"I'm kind of regretting calling you over. You clearly still don't want to see me," Ventus bravely told Vanitas who was leaning against the couch. So he wasn't going to bother to actually sit down?_  
 _"You bothered my phone nonstop. There had to be an end to it," Vanitas clipped, "So go ahead. What the hell was so urgent that you felt the need to bother me so much?"_  
 _Ventus sighed. This was a bad idea. He already knew where Vanitas's mind was going._  
 _"Calm your nerves" Ventus said, "It's not what you think it's about."_  
 _"You skipped school for three days. There's literally no other reason why I would be over here right now if it wasn't what I think it's about, which it is."_  
 _"For your information, I was actually sick," Ventus said. It was partially the truth. He actually had gotten sick. But he was also having trouble walking after the attack and he was struggling to pull himself together after it happened, "But of course you wouldn't know that as you've been avoiding me like I have the damn plague."_  
 _"I was trying to be nice and give you space," Vanitas said, denying his claim._  
 _"Giving me space and shutting me out completely are two different things. You did the latter," Ventus argued._  
 _"Well what the hell did you expect me to after my best friend decided to just up and tell me you had a crush on me!?" Vanitas asked, standing up straight._  
 _"I expected my best friend to not be a jerk," Ventus replied, getting angry now, "I was fine with you turning me down, Vanitas. What I was not fine with was you pushing me away!"_  
 _"Bullshit. If you were fine, then you wouldn't have tried to talk to me that next morning," Vanitas said._  
 _"That doesn't even make sense! And that's not what I was going to talk to you about that day either! Don't assume what I was going to do!" Ventus demanded._  
 _"You shouldn't have did anything to begin with," Vanitas growled._  
 _"What's that supposed to mean?" Ventus asked._  
 _"Why did you confess to me?! You ruined everything!" Vanitas responded, now angry._  
 _"I didn't ruin anything! You're the one making everything awkward!" Ventus accused._  
 _"You put in this situation! What exactly was I supposed to do?" Vanitas asked._  
 _"I wasn't expecting you to do anything!" Ventus yelled._  
 _"Why did you say anything if you weren't expecting something?! That makes no fucking sense!" Vanitas said._  
 _"Because I didn't want to keep a secret from you?! I hate keeping things from you and you know that! I wanted to be honest," Ventus replied. This was not how he had planned this to go at all._  
 _"Then some things should stay secret then, don't you think? Because shit like that ruins everything. And the fact that you're sitting here acting like you didn't just create this huge ass rift between us is ridiculous. I'm ignoring you because you decided to open your mouth. You ruined everything. Congratulations, it's all your fault," Vanitas retorted, crossing his arms. Ventus is at a loss for words. He and Vanitas have argued before, what people don't, but it's never gotten like this. He's only even seen Vanitas get this mad at other people, never at him. Was what he did that bad? Did Vanitas hate him for it?_  
 _Did he actually ruin everything?_  
 _There's a long silence, and Vanitas breaks it with a deep sigh._  
 _"Look...I'm sorry for yelling...Okay, if it wasn't about that, then what did you call me over for?" Vanitas asked, trying to rectify the situation. Ventus hesistates to answer. How was he supposed to tell him what happened if Vanitas truly believes that this was all his fault? All he did was be honest with him, and now he's paying the price even though Vanitas was the one that shut him out? Vanitas must hate him, because there's no other explanation as to why Vanitas is reacting this badly over this. Ventus looked at the floor in sad realization._  
 _For the first time in his life, he can't talk to Vanitas._  
 _"Nevermind," Ventus said._  
 _"Huh?" Vanitas said, "Seriously, what's the issue?"_  
 _"Nevermind, it's nothing," Ventus said loud enough for Vanitas to hear._  
 _"Are you serious right now?" Vanitas asked._  
 _"You're very clearly still mad at me so I can't talk to you," Ventus said._  
 _"I'm not mad-"_  
 _"Yes, you are. Forget about it. I'll tell you when you're done thinking I'm the worst best friend ever," Ventus said, dismissing the conversation._  
 _"Maybe that'll happen when you get over your damn feelings which started all this," Vanitas said before he could stop himself. He slammed the door shut as he left the house and Ventus stood there, refusing to cry._  
 _He couldn't tell anyone. Not even Vanitas._  
 _\---_  
"Why am I so bad at this coiling thing?" Roxas complained as he tried his hardest to coil the clay. He and Sora were in art class and they were making coiled art today from clay and Roxas was failing miserably. Sora was doing pretty okay now that his headache was gone but he was still pretty fatigued. He needed this school day to end.   
"You're not balancing it out. That's why it keeps breaking in the middle," Sora laughed as he finished another coil.   
"Speaking of middle, what happened in the middle of this weekend?" Roxas asked. Sora had to give the guy props for using the word middle as a slide in for Saturday.   
"You and Axel are so nosy," Sora said.  
"Yes, but unlike Axel, I don't tell everyone. Come on, you have to tell me, I was the one who convinced Axel not to go over there," Roxas said.  
"That was you?" Sora asked, surprised.  
"Yeah. I figured Riku had deserved it. And it's really fun to make Vanitas mad," Roxas laughed.  
"Well, thank you," Sora said.   
"I'll accept some details as my thank you. Come on, Sora, I promise I won't tell anyone," Roxas begged. Sora rolled his eyes. It's not that he didn't want to tell Roxas, it's just that he didn't want his face to heat up at remembering anything that happened that night. He has not learned how to control his blood pressure yet.   
"I'm only giving you the short version because I can't control my facial reactions," Sora said. Roxas laughed, nodding in agreement.  
"So what did you do?" Roxas asked.  
"Well...I might have sat in his lap...and... we may or may not have made out on the couch. That's all that happened!" Sora said that last part quickly when he saw Roxas's eyebrows shoot up.   
"Kudos to you. You weren't scared?" Roxas asked. He was actually really proud of the brunette. Riku coming into Sora's life was proving to be more and more of a good thing. He wondered what tactics Riku used to even get that far.   
Sora shook his head, "Actually, I haven't felt that...safe alone with a guy in a long time."   
"I'm glad. Riku didn't screw anything up," Roxas smiled. Sora nodded as well but he sighed heavily and blinked hard. He's been blinking hard all morning and it was really starting to bug him.   
"I am so tired. You'd think I'd ran marathon before school," Sora whined. Roxas already knew of this. Sora's nightmares were becoming rather frequent for reasons unknown to everyone, including Sora. He was missing a lot of sleep because they kept waking him up constantly.   
"You think maybe the nightmares have anything to do with what you did with Riku?" Roxas asked. His theory was that maybe somewhere in the back of Sora's mind, the things they did somehow reminded Sora of his time with that man.   
"That's a negative. I wasn't scared when I was with Riku...Okay, I was a little scared. But I don't think that would've been enough to harbor this sudden change in my nightmare patterns. I was even slightly aroused when Riku kissed my neck and that didn't scare me," Sora said. He slapped a hand to his face when he realized what he had just let slip out.   
"Oh, so you got that far, huh?" Roxas said teasingly. Sora pushed Roxas playfully, his face already flushing pink.   
"Shut up, Roxas!"  
\---  
Vanitas hated being the first one at the lunch table. It was too quiet and people always tried to talk to him when he was caught by himself. He had just shooed away the third attempt when the table starting vibrating. He looked down and found it was Ventus's phone. Ventus had went to the bathroom and left Vanitas alone. Vanitas saw it was his parents, and he thought about answering for Ven before he decided to just let Ventus see the missed call for himself. The phone vibrated again and Vanitas was going to mind his business before he realized that it was a text from Sora.   
Now Vanitas knew he shouldn't open the message. He knew that. But Ventus wasn't there, and he was honestly quite curious about what Sora and Ventus could possibly be talking to each other about. He unlocked Ventus's phone and only looked at the new message.  
 _Sora: Regardless of your answer to that, I still want you to know that you can talk to me._   
"Talk to him?" Vanitas said to himself, "Talk about what?"  
What Vanitas seeing this right? Did Sora know something that he didn't? How could he possibly know? He and Ventus have actually been getting along quite well recently, more on Vanitas deciding not to turn everything into an argument and Ventus telling him when something was bothering him.   
But obviously it was a one sided effort.  
Vanitas had a hunch that Ventus was still hiding something from him. He kept it to himself as to not rock the boat, but this text message only proved that Ventus, once again, was lying to him! At this point, he didn't know what was worse. The fact that Sora possibly knew something he didn't that may be contributing to Ventus's depressing attitude, the fact that Ventus has lied yet again, or the fact that he was the only one working on this friendship.   
He put the phone down quickly as he saw Ventus returning from the bathroom. The others were right behind him. Vanitas thought that that was weird and wondered if they all went to the bathroom at the same time. When everyone sat down, Sora pushed his food over to Demyx.   
"I'm not that hungry, today, Dem. You can have it," Sora said.  
"Oh yeah! I know for a fact Cloud packed you brownies too! Thanks!" Dem said as he happily dug into the bag Sora had given him.   
"You feeling okay?" Riku asked. Sora loved food. Sora nodded slowly.  
"I'm just really tired. Didn't get a lot of sleep. And the thought of food right now is making me nauseous," Sora explained. Riku put his arm around Sora and let him use him as a cushion. He definitely looked tired. Vanitas was going to tell Riku to keep his hands off his cousin, but he had other matters to attend to.   
"Ven, walk with me," Vanitas said, getting up before Ventus even said whether he was going or not. Ventus, confused as hell as to what this was about, rolled his eyes before he got up and followed Vanitas out the cafeteria.   
"I hope they're not going to argue," Sora said softly, "Ventus doesn't need to be any more upset than he already is."  
"You seem to be the only one who notices when Ventus is actually upset," Riku said. Riku will admit, he too was a little worried about the blonde since that new years fight but Sora seemed to have Ventus more on his radar than the rest of the group.   
"Yeah, and that's sad seeing as your cousin is his best friend. He should know before everyone else," Axel laughed.   
"I know this is probably jumping the gun just a bit, but is there any chance that Vanitas actually had feelings fo Ventus and he just hasn't said anything?" Sora asked. He knew was stretching it a bit, but he couldn't see any other reason why Vanitas would be getting mad at Ventus left and right if something wasn't attached to that aside from the fact that they were best friends.   
"I'm 100% certain that he does," Axel said indefinitely, "Why do you think I joke about them making out all the time?"   
"I kind of have the same notion" Riku said, "I mean, I haven't been here that long so I don't know the two like that, but I do think there's a possibility. But Vanitas is stubborn." While Riku was talking, he noticed that Sora had moved from him and put his head down on the table.   
"Their fighting stresses me out," Sora whined from his arms. In reality, he had really put his head down because the lights in the cafeteria were making his head spin.   
\---  
"What's going on?" Ventus asked as he and Vanitas finally stopped near the East hallway.   
"Why did you lie to me?" Vanitas asked straight out. He was getting straight to the point this time. No more beating about the bush.   
Ventus paused for a moment. Vanitas had found out what he said to Sora. That had to be it. That's the only reason Vanitas would be mad about at this given moment.   
"What are you talking about?" Ventus choked out, deciding to play the dumb game.   
"I just saw a text from my cousin to you saying that you can talk to him if you need to. What's that about?" Vanitas asked.  
"What were you doing looking through my phone?" Ventus asked, a little offended. He knew Vanitas knew his password but it was still an invasion of privacy.  
"That's beside the point" Vanitas said, "Did that day at the carnival mean nothing to you?"   
"What?" Ventus asked.  
"I have been sitting here, trying to rebuild our friendship because it's complete shit right now and we both know it," Vanitas said.  
"So have I," Ventus said.  
"Obviously not! You've been keeping secrets from me! Again! Secrets that apparently you're quite fine with sharing with my cousin, but not me!" Vanitas accused.  
"I haven't shared anything with Sora," Ventus said, trying to keep calm. This didn't sound like an argument he was about to win.  
"You've been sharing it with somebody! I can't believe you! We swore on it, Ven. We said that we would try to rebuild our friendship, and we said that we would be honest with each other! You're still keeping secrets from me! I have been trying to be a good friend. I've argued less with you, I gave you space, I even let it go about you and my cousin since you apologized to him. Now I find out that you still haven't opened your mouth? I don't know what to do anymore!" Vanitas complained.  
"Vanitas, I didn't-"  
Ventus stopped as Vanitas took the few remaining steps between them and glared at Ventus.  
"Don't even try to deny it. Look me in the eye right now and tell me that there's nothing going on that I don't know about," Vanitas said.  
"Vanitas-"  
"Do it. Right now. I will drop everything right now. Tell me nothing is going on that I don't know about. Tell me you've been honest with me," Vanitas demanded. Ventus was only able to hold his gaze for a second or two, before the guilt that he's been carrying got the better of him, and knowing he was sealing his fate by doing this, he turned away. He backed away slightly, Vanitas being so close making his guilt worse.   
Vanitas shook his head in disbelief. Then he remembered Ventus's rage in the basement that day.  
It's partially your fault that-!  
"You said something was partially my fault" Vanitas started, "What did you mean by that? Is that what's been keeping your from telling me anything?"   
Ventus wasn't responding, and he was looking at the ground in shame.   
"Ventus, what did I do?" Vanitas asked, his tone softer. He wasn't mad anymore at this point, he was just exhausted of all of this. Their friendship shouldn't be like this. He closed the distance again and bent his head.  
"Ventus, what did I do?" Vanitas asked again, "At least tell me so I can properly apologize and we can get past this?...What did I do?" Vanitas had a rather good feeling about what he did, but he needed to hear it from Ventus. He was trying so hard to understand. Why was Ventus so determined to keep him in the dark?   
"Nothing" Ventus said quietly, still not looking at Vanitas, "You didn't do anything." And that was the truth. But Vanitas didn't hear it the way Ventus had wanted him to hear it. Vanitas knew Ventus was about to cry as he still refused to look at him. He hated seeing Ventus cry, especially if it was because of anything he did.  
"Ven-"  
"Vanitas! There you are!" Demyx said, suddenly running into the hallway. Both boys jumped but only Vanitas turned around.   
"What's going on?" Vanitas asked.  
"It's Sora! He passed out!" Demyx said.  
"What?!" Vanitas said.  
"Axel just carried him to the nurse's office. Roxas and I are on our way there, but we were trying to find you first," Demyx said. Vanitas took one step in the direction of Demyx before he paused, remembering that he was currently in a discussion with Ventus.   
Ventus still hadn't looked up from the ground, and Vanitas was torn. His cousin passed out and now he was worried as hell, but he the last time he chose Sora over Ventus, it turned out Ventus had a panic attack in his hotel room. He needed to talk to Ventus, but he had to check on his cousin.  
Vanitas said nothing as he walked past Demyx in the direction of the nurse's office. Demyx looked towards Ventus.  
"Ven, you okay?" Demyx asked. Ventus ignored him, and instead he turned around and walked away, ignoring Demyx calling after him.   
Ventus could've slapped himself. He should've known Vanitas was going to catch on eventually. But what was he supposed to do? Tell Vanitas in the middle of the damn hallway that his rejection, his parents, the rape, Sora, and everything else was leading him to cutting? He couldn't do that. And Vanitas cornered him! He knew he was hurting Vanitas, he knew this. Vanitas hated when people lied to him. But he just can't tell him. He had decided that it was better that he say nothing at all, especially after everything that went down. It didn't matter anymore. If he told Vanitas the truth, that would include having to tell him what he said to Sora, and it didn't matter what happened to Ventus, Vanitas would end their friendship on the spot. Ventus knew this. It was one of the biggest reasons he couldn't say anything. He had to keep quiet, or else he was going to lose everything.   
But Ventus also knew that he was beginning to crack. Letting Sora know everything was a bad crack into his shell, and his panic attacks coming at him like that were not a good sign. He was either shutting down or he was reaching his breaking point, and it scared him because he didn't know which one was happening. But now that he knew Vanitas was now more suspicious than ever, he was extremely scared.   
He went out the side east stairwell door to get some air when he smacked right into a body.   
"Ow," Ventus groaned, getting most of the impact.  
"You know, I'm going to start charging you fees for bumping me," a too familiar voice chuckled that made Ventus freeze on the spot.  
No.  
No. No. It couldn't be.  
Ventus looked up in disbelief, and sure enough, there was Saix, standing there in front of him.   
"Why are you still here?!" Ventus said suddenly, trying his best to not make it obvious that he was just crying.   
"I'm still on vacation, remember?" Saix asked.  
"That was ages ago!" Ventus said. This couldn't be happening! Why was he still here?!   
"I have long vacations. Thought I'd drop by the torture place," Saix laughed, referring to the school. He looks around and then looks at Ventus.  
"Haven't I told you already about being alone?" Saix asked. Ventus looked away from him, his body not obeying his mental order to go back inside. Saix cocked his head to the side, realizing that the boy's eyes were slightly red and his face was pink. He's been crying.   
Saix laughed, "Man, it's like you're practically asking for a repeat. Alone and tears? Only thing missing is my guys."  
Ventus flinched from the memory of that, and he finally forced his legs to move past Saix. He sighed shakingly when Saix stepped in front of him.  
"Aw, come on, no smart comeback? You had a lot at the mall," Saix said, feigning upset.  
"Can you please leave me alone? Or at least let me leave?" Ventus said, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Saix.   
He stumbled on his own feet when Saix suddenly pushed him back against the wall. Before Ventus could even process what had happened or get the wind back that was knocked out of him, Saix spun him around and pinned him against the wall, one arm holding against the wall, and the other he had pinned behind his back. Ventus struggled greatly once he realized what had happened, but he was no match for Saix's strength and weight. Saix inhaled near his ear and Ventus froze.  
"Do you have any idea how quick and easy it would be to do it again? Right now?" Saix asked softly. Ventus bit his lip as he willed his tears back, the memories of that fateful day flooding to the front of his brain.   
"Saix...please..leave me alone," Ventus begged. He hated begging. But he couldn't handle a repeat of this. He couldn't. He would break completely.  
He trembled in disgust when he felt Saix lick the shell of his ear.   
"Saix, stop!" Ventus tried again, "You already got even the first time. Let me go. Please."   
"But it would so much more fun to continue, don't you think?" Saix asked coyly, "I could pull down your pants from this position and you can get reaquainted with my cock."  
"Saix!" Ventus pleaded, no longer able to hide his fear of what was happening. This couldn't happen! It can't! Not again!  
Saix pretened to debate for a moment. Then he quickly flipped the blonde around and kissed him hard on the mouth before releasing his hold. Ventus crumbled to the ground, his legs giving out on him.  
"Just so you're aware, I'm on vacation for another week" Saix said, "If I catch you crying by yourself again, consider yourself asking for it."   
Saix walked away and Ventus sat on the ground, trying to will himself to get up and back inside. He couldn't believe it. It almost happened again. It almost fucking happened again. Saix could've straight up raped him again and he was helpless to do anything!   
Ventus forced his legs to work even as they shook. He could feel a panic attack coming, he knew it and there was no way he could stop it. But he had to get inside. His head was spinning. He needed relief. He needed it now.   
He rushed back inside only to run into another person.   
"Ven, there you are!" Riku said coming into the stairwell, "Wait, are you okay?"   
"I'm fine," Ventus choked out before trying to walk past Riku. Riku knew immediately that Ventus wasn't okay, and unlike Vanitas, he wasn't going to just sit there and let him walk away.  
"Ventus, wait," Riku said, reaching out to grab Ventus's wrist.  
"Don't touch me!" Ventus suddenly croaked out angrily, and he pushed Riku, hard, away from him. Riku lost his balance and hit the first two steps up to the next floor. He groaned painfully as his back collided with the edges. He could tell that he hasn't broken anything, but damn did that hurt!  
Ventus could've killed Riku! Why did he touch him? Why did he grab him?! He was tired of being manhandled! Why did people have to put their hands on him?! He could feel his heart pounding in his ears, and it was getting a lot harder to breathe. But he had to get away from Riku. This was bad. However, he only made it one step towards the door before he crashed to the ground, the ability to breathe now lost to him. He closed his eyes, knowing it was no use but there was nothing else he could do. He felt like he was dying!   
"Ventus! Ventus, hey! Calm down!" came Riku's voice from behind him. Riku wasn't an expert, but he knew a panic attack when he saw one. Ventus tried to move away from him to no avail.  
"L-Leave me a-alone!" Ventus squeezed out before his lungs decided that that was enough oxygen. He coughed and even with his eyes closed, there was a blur to his vision.   
"I'm not leaving you," Riku said firmly. Ventus was about to tell him to fuck off before he realized that he would never make it to the bathroom to handle this. He couldn't do this on his own and he was pretty sure that he was about to pass out.   
Quickly reaching behind him with quivering hands, Riku stared in confusion as Ventus went to find his hands. When he did find them, he twisted Riku's arms around and placed his hands over his eyes.   
"Ventus-"  
"Shut up!" Ventus coughed out, "Just keep them here."   
\---  
The light was still too bright by the time Sora woke up. He blinked and groaned as his eyes adjusted to the brightness. When he got his surroundings together, he saw that he was in the nurse's office on a futon. He didn't remember how he got there.   
"You're awake!" he heard a cheerful voice say beside him. It was Roxas.   
"Hi," was all Sora managed. Roxas left the room for only two seconds before he returned with Axel, Demyx and Vanitas. Vanitas put his hand on Sora's forehead.  
"You feeling okay?" Vanitas asked.   
"Yeah, I think so...what happened?" Sora asked.  
"You passed out, sweetie," a lady's voice said as she entered. She had short spiky hair and one of the kindest eyes Sora's seen that could rival Aerith's.  
"I'm Dr. Yuna, the nurse," she said sweetly. She took out a piece of candy and held it out to Sora. "Eat this. Your sugar was very low."  
"Thank you," Sora said as he popped the piece of candy into his mouth. It tastes like strawberry and he smiled.  
"Cloud and Leon are on their way," Vanitas announced.  
"They're picking me up? But that's not necessary," Sora pouted.  
"Tell that to momma Cloud who didn't even let Dr. Yuna finish explaining what happened on the phone before he was already out the door," Axel laughed. Sora looked around and noticed two people weren't there.  
"Where's Riku and Ventus?" Sora asked.   
"You don't remember? Riku left early because he had a project to finish? You passed out like two minutes after he left," Axel said. Sora shook his head, not really remembering that.   
"And Ventus?" Sora asked, a bit more worried about the blonde.   
"I don't know. Vanitas?" Demyx asked with a half knowing answer. Vanitas turned the other way, his mouth tight. He didn't know where Ventus went after their spat in the hallway.  
"Stop looking at me, I don't know where he went," Vanitas said. He couldn't meet his cousin's eyes either. Sora sighed, hoping that Ventus was okay.   
\---  
Ventus finally removed Riku's hands from his eyes, his breathing returning to normal and his heart at a regular heartbeat again. There was an awkward silence. Riku wasn't really sure how to approach whatever the hell just happened. But he had a feeling that asking if Ventus was okay was a really dumb question to ask at the moment. So he chose a different question.  
"Does that happen often?" Riku asked instead. He honestly wasn't really sure how to talk to Ventus. They've never talked that much to each other before, and Riku felt like Ventus wanted to keep it that way.   
"No...at least...not in a long time," Ventus admitted. He still refused to look at Riku. He was ashamed of himself. He can't believe he had a panic attack in front of Riku. At least if it was Vanitas, he wouldn't have had to explain anything. Vanitas was normally fine just knowing Ventus was okay.   
"Um, the hand eye thing...is that your coping mechanism?" Riku asked. Ventus sighed. He really didn't want to be having this conversation right now. He wanted to go home and be alone. His panic attack was gone, but the urge to relieve himself on his skin was still tantalizingly biting at him.   
"I can't do it by myself" Ventus said, "I always remove them. The darkness from somebody's elses hands just...calms me down."  
"How did you figure that out?" Riku asked.  
"I didn't. Vanitas did," Ventus admitted before he could stop himself. Mentioning Vanitas reminded him of how he ended up in this situation at the moment. Which then brought up the fact that he was almost raped right outside the door they were currently near. His wrists were starting to itch, bad.   
There was another silence as Riku debated whether to ask the obvious question now.  
"Do you want to-"  
"No, I don't," Ventus said, standing up and cutting him off.   
"But don't you think-"  
"It's none of your business," Ventus retorted before he walked out the door into the hallway, leaving Riku alone in the stairwell. Riku sighed heavily as he relaxed against the wall. He had to give credit to his boyfriend. Something was definitely wrong with Ventus, and him not willing to talk about it was a bit unnerving. And Riku only hoped he was jumping the gun a little bit, but he could've sworn that the face Ventus had when he bumped into him was the same facial expression Sora had when he was cornered by Loz at Yuffie's birthday party.   
\---  
Sora is sitting on his bed, having been picked up from school by Cloud and Leon. He had tried to get them to let him stay, but Axel was indeed right about momma Cloud. He had wanted to finish the day, especially since he and Riku shared history class together. But he couldn't help but be grateful because when he got home he got a well deserved nap that he had just woken up from. He looked at his phone and found a text message from Riku, asking him to text him when he's awake   
_Sora: I'm awake. And I'm okay._  
 _Riku: You sure? Roxas told me you passed out. Everything alright?_  
 _Sora: Well to be honest, not really. I've been having trouble sleeping._  
 _Riku: The nightmares?_  
 _Sora: Nice guess. You're right._  
 _Riku: When did they start back up?_  
 _Sora: Around two nights after I left your place. I'll text you later. I'm going to go eat something so Cloud and Leon will stop worrying._  
 _Riku: Promise?_  
 _Sora: Promise._   
Sora put his phone back down and smiled. He didn't even know why he was smiling, but he just was. He knew it had something to do with Riku. He was glad he made the brave decision to go out with him. It was one of the few things that made him feel normal, even if the nightmares were now constantly trying to remind him of what he really was. He didn't need reminders. He knew it was only a matter of time before Riku found out who he really was and then he would leave him. But he would like to enjoy the time that he has. He wasn't ready for it to end. He wasn't sure he would ever be.   
\---  
Riku looked at his phone and smiled, glad that Sora was okay. He had tried texting Ventus asking him the same question, but Ventus never responded. Riku was actually quite worried about Ventus now. Panic attacks weren't thing to be taken lightly, and if they happening close to each other, then Ventus should probably say something.   
He put the problem on the backburner for the time being. He went downstairs to get a cup of soda, deciding that he will just drop by Ventus's house sometime later and see for himself if the blonde was okay. Before he got to the steps however, he notices a rare occasion in his house.  
The guest bedroom is uncle is using is open.  
Riku had to laugh to himself. His uncle never left the door open, but Riku had warned him that he was staying in the room with the weird door handle. He assumed his uncle must've left in a hurry and just forgot to double check the door.   
"Now's my chance to prove that his exotic dance studios are nothing but strip clubs," Riku grinned as he made his way into the room. Nothing really looked out of the ordinary from when his uncle wasn't there, except for the clothes and the laptop and suitcase sitting astray. Riku went over to the bookshelf that was holding a tinier suitcase and he opened it. It was filled with CDs. Riku looked at some of the labels, and a lot of them said audition tapes.  
"They actually have to audition on film? That's kind of disturbing," Riku said. He closes the suitcase, realizing that if he takes one it will be extremely obvious since it'll be the only one missing and the CD case is completely filled. He turned towards the laptop and he noticed a book next to it, and the book look disturbed. Riku picked it up and CD fell out on the floor.   
"Hope he remembers where he stopped," Riku smirked as he placed the book back down and picked up the CD. It didn't look like the ones he was had just looked at. This one didn't have a label on it, and he looked on the back and found that it was red. Why the hell was it red?  
"Ten bucks this is the most recent audition," Riku said to himself, and he took it with him into his room. Riku didn't like to consider himself a pervert, but he was needed to see for himself that these exotic dancers were really just strippers. So he popped the CD into his DVD player on his laptop and hit play.  
It displayed a horrifying scene.   
The camera was laying on the side of a bed, so Riku could only see a pair of pale legs from the camera. He noted that the legs did not look healthy at all, and that they were moving back and forth. He could hear panting and deep breathing from whoever was on the bed, and Riku took a guess that the person was probably tied to the bed since they were moving their legs so much.   
"He's going to knock over the camera if he doesn't stop moving," Riku heard a voice say in the video.   
"I told thim that already. Shut up and stop moving!" Riku suddenly heard his uncle's voice. Xemnas sounded malicious. Even when he got in trouble with him as a child, he never heard his uncle speak to him like that. It was down right creepy.   
The pair of legs Riku can see stopped moving, but even he could tell that it was a struggle to do so. Then Riku watched in horror as he saw his uncle come into view of the camera, holding in his hand a dildo the size of a shampoo bottle. It was too late for Riku to tear his eyes away before he watched in horror as his uncle shoved the dildo up the person's behind. A horrid scream echoed the room and Riku even flinched from the cry. That must've hurt tremendously.   
He sees his uncle take off the belt that he's wearing and he slashes it against the person of the bed four times.   
"That was your punishment for all the wiggling," he heard his uncle say.   
"Please...stop..." Riku heard a new voice say. It was weak and feeble but he definitely heard it. Why did that voice sound familiar?   
"How long do we have?" the first voice Riku heard asked.  
"All day. He lives with me. I own him," Xemnas tells the other person. Riku found that strange. He's been over his uncle's house plenty of times and he didn't recall anyone living with him. Xemnas wasn't one for attachment.   
"Can I at least get a face shot? I want to film his face when he's entered," the man said. Riku's jaw dropped. Entered? What the fuck was going on? Was this a rape?!  
"Negative. I don't want anyone seeing his face," Xemnas said.   
"Nobody but you is going to see this video afterwards," the man said. Riku heard his uncle laugh.  
"That's true. Fine," Xemnas said. The camera is grabbed and as it moves up the body, Riku can see that the person's skin is extremely pale with patches of black and blue bruises and another scar that was moved past too fast for Riku to see.   
"What did they do to him?" Riku asked himself softly, not believing what he was watching. When the camera hit the boy's face, Riku's heart stopped.   
Though his hair was wet and sticking to his face, his face was pale and very clearly malnourished, and his eyes were hazed over and slightly red, there was no doubt in Riku's mind at who he was staring at.   
It was Sora.   
Riku couldn't believe it. This couldn't be. What was going on? Why did Sora look like this? And why was he with his uncle and this strange guy?   
Riku watched in disgust as his uncle licked the kid's cheek.   
"You're sweating a lot for someone who should be used to this by now. Little slut," Xemnas said lout enough for the camera to catch it. Riku's stomach tied itself in a knot. Used to it?   
"He's not responding," the other guy said.  
"Of course not. At least not anything coherent. He's heavily drugged right now. I couldn't have him sober for this, he wouldn't stop screaming," Xemnas said. He disappeared from view but Riku picked up on the sounds of clothing being removed.  
 _Oh no. Oh God, tell me this isn't about to happen!_ Riku thought, terrified.   
Riku looked at Sora's face and could see that the boy was breathing heavily and he didn't really seem to be aware of what was going on or where he was. He watched as the brunette's eyes only looked forward for a second at what Riku presumed was his uncle. Then he physically jumped as Sora let out a horrible scream, tilting his head back from the strain of it. Riku shakes with the realization that his uncle has just penetrated him and was doing repeatedly. The guy behind the camera is laughing and Riku feels like he has to throw up. He can't look away from Sora's face, scrunched up in pain and pleading for Xemnas to stop because it hurts.   
"Stop! Stop! Ah! Please! It hurts!" Sora yelled.  
"Shut up!" Xemnas ordered.  
"Please! I-I can't-! Ow! Ah! Stop!"  
"I said shut up!"  
Riku slammed his laptop down, not being able to take anymore. He ran to the bathroom and heaved until he couldn't force anything to come up. He couldn't believe what he had just saw. His uncle, the one uncle who he actually trusted, had raped Sora. His current boyfriend. And by the sounds of it, it was multiple times. His uncle wasn't just a pedophile, he was a damn rapist! And Riku was dating his victim!   
Riku suddenly thought back to everything he knew about Sora. The shyness, the refusal of being touched when they first met, the fear in his eyes when he didn't know what was going to happen, the nightmares that he hasn't fully witnessed yet. Sora's protected guard of friends, his fear of being alone with him, Sora talking about his first kiss and his first time not being pleasant...  
It all made sense now. Riku's notion of Sora being in an abusive relationship was far from the truth. He wasn't in an abusive relationship. He was being raped and beaten by his uncle!  
Riku thinks about Sora as he was now when he met him. Sora looked healthy, and now he was smiling and laughing with him, and he wasn't afraid to kiss him. Did his uncle let him go? Or had Sora escaped? He remembered back to the tape where Xemnas had said something about him owning Sora.   
"How?" Riku asked out loud. He immediately got up and went back to uncle's room after checking that his uncle hadn't returned. He opened the drawers attached to the dresser the laptop was sitting on until he came upon a stack of folders. It was labeled failed photos and Riku picked it up. He flipped through the photos, not recognizing any of them.   
Then he came upon a new stack and he paused. There were crowds of people in these photos, and a bright light was illuminating them all. They were fireworks. This was from New Year's Eve. He flipped through those and he managed to find the one that had him in it. Riku was grateful that Sora was blocked by a person standing in front of him, so his uncle hadn't found him in that picture.   
The door slamming open made Riku jump and almost drop the papers. It was his uncle. He could hear him talking furiously on the phone with someone. He quickly put the pictures back in the folder and back in the drawer, quietly sneaking out of the room and towards the stairs, closing the door on his way out.   
"No! I don't understand why it takes forty people to find one kid! He's not smart enough to have evaded me all this time! He doesn't know anything about the outside world! You morons aren't doing your job!" Xemnas yelled into the phone. He ends the phone call and groans angrily, causing a shiver to go down Riku's spine.   
"I am going to find that slut and when I do, he's going to rue the day he was born!" Xemnas growled loud enough for Riku to hear. Riku walked back to his room quickly realizing that Xemnas was coming up the stairs and shut the door slightly. He put his headphones on, pretending to listen to music in case his uncle came in to check on him. He's trying to stay calm but he's shaking from the reality of the situation that he's been exposed to. It wasn't bad enough that his uncle has been raping and abusing his current boyfriend.  
Now he's looking for him.

  
 _Okay guys! So Sorry for the delay! I had so much stuff going on and then I just got lazy! But it took me forever to write up this chapter! I kept rewriting the draft of it and it got delayed! But here you are! Now Riku knows the truth, but what will he do about it?And Vanitas is finally, really on to Ventus! In the next chapter, Riku struggles to decide what to do with everything he's just learned, and Vanitas and Ventus....well, I'll leave that to a surprise. A little hint? Their friendship hinges on their next conversation. Stay tuned! Poof!_


	38. The Calm Before the Storm

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM  
 _Disclaimer: I do not own nor have the rights to any of these characters. This fic is purely for fun._

  
Riku was barely paying attention to what he was even putting into his locker and taking out. He was still dazed. He just couldn't believe it. His boyfriend was raped and tortured by his uncle, who he considered close to him. He had tossed and turned all night, having nightmares of Sora's poor screams and pleads running around his head like a circus act. When he had woken up the next morning, he left extremely early so he wouldn't even run into his uncle. He couldn't believe him. How could he do this to another human being?! And the fact that he was looking for him just to continue abusing him was enough to make Riku's blood boil.   
"Good morning!" a familiar cheerful voice said, shaking Riku out of his thoughts. It was Sora, and he forced a smile as Sora leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. Riku made a mental note that that was indeed new, but it was all he could do to look at his boyfriend properly and not see the images of his sweaty and malnourished face in that video. Riku forced the thoughts away. He couldn't think about that right now.   
"You're in a rather chipper mood," Riku said.   
"Well yeah! It's finally the weekend," Sora smiled.  
"Something special happening? Besides the fact that we're all going to your house? Because I don't think anyone considers that special," Riku laughed.   
"Yes, actually" Sora corrected him, "Leon's co-worker gave him all these lego architectures and he knew since Leon had a lot of little cousins, he figured Leon could give them to them. But Leon is giving them to us since he thinks the architectures are too hard for his eight year old cousins."  
"I feel like anything with the word 'archictecture' and 'lego' in it is difficult for anyone," Riku objected.  
"Well, either way, we get to put them together all weekend," Sora said. Riku blinked.  
"It's going to take all weekend? Aren't there directions?" Riku laughed.  
"Well, we decided that we're not going to look at the directions. Makes it more fun," Sora smiled.  
"More frustrating is what you mean," Riku said.  
"Well, everyone is spending the night so it doesn't matter," Sora shrugged. Riku sighed at that. He had forgotten that he was actually spending the night. He couldn't spend the entire weekend with Sora. He had things to do that involved keeping him away from his uncle, and staying at his place was definitely not going to do that.   
"Hey, about that spending the night part. Sora, I think it's best if I don't spend the night. I've got a lot of homework I'm backed up on and we're going to be busy soon with graduation stuff," Riku said, putting a hand behind his head. This sounded like complete crap and he knew it. He just only hoped Sora didn't.   
Sora pouted. "You can do your homework at my house like everyone else does. And graduation is forever away!"  
"I know but my house is also a wreck and I'm pretty sure my parents are visiting soon, so I should probably-" Riku stops short once he actually looks at Sora's upset face and realizes he might be about to cry. Riku stops talking. Damnit, he wasn't trying to do that! He didn't want to see him cry, especially with that video still fresh in his mind!  
Instead of finishing his lie, he leans down and kisses Sora on the forehead.  
"I'll be there," Riku said instead. Sora giggles, his face a slight tinge of pink from the PDA. Riku is briefly reminded of one of the many reasons he liked this kid to begin with before the horrible images in his mind remind him of who he's currently dating right now. Sora leaves to go class but before he does, Riku puts his bag and quickly wraps him in a hug.   
"Where did that come from?" Sora asked, though he was laughing. Riku was right, he was in a giddy mood.   
"What, I can't hug you when I just feel like it?" Riku asked jokingly, doing his best to hide his nerves. He let go and Sora waved as he went to class. Riku only then realized that they had had the entire morning to themselves and the others hadn't shown up at all. That was weird yet satisfying.   
\---  
"I swear Vanitas and I had no idea what was going on" Axel was saying, "One minute we're over there just trying to walk home and the next thing we know, here comes the principal..."  
Riku was only half listening to the conversation. He wasn't really interested at the moment about the old adventures of Axel and Vanitas.Riku is stuck with horrible options that have been thrown at him since he figured out the truth about Sora. He only has two options. The first option is that he can go to the police and expose Sora's location, or he could break up with Sora and break his own heart as well.   
Riku could've shot himself in the foot for his own stupidity. How did he not guess something like this from the beginning? All the signs were in front of him. But knowing this also meant that Sora had practically lied to him about his entire existence. Cloud and Leon probably aren't really his uncles, all those books he talks about were probably ones he read while in captivity, and by the way his uncle was searching for him, Sora had only escaped rather recently.   
He couldn't be mad the brunette. Sora had to lie to protect himself. But now that Riku knows the truth, how is he supposed to continue their relationship?  
"You good dude? Zoning out there," Axel said suddenly, pulling Riku back to current time.   
"Sorry...I was just thinking of some weird stuff," Riku admitted.   
"Do me a favor and don't start becoming Ventus with that whole spacing out shit," Axel laughed. Riku blinked. He had forgotten about the blonde momentarily. But now he remembered. That whole scene in the stairwell and Ventus's panic attack.  
"Hey, Axel?" Riku asked. Axel responded with a 'hm'.  
"Does Ventus have panic attacks a lot?" Riku asked. It was Axel's turn to blink this time.  
"What? How do you know about that?" Axel asked. To his knowledge, Ventus hasn't had a panic attack in years. What was Riku talking about?  
"I was coming into one of the stairwells the other day and he came running in from outside or something. He had a panic attack on the floor. I had to help him calm down," Riku explained. He wouldn't mention Ventus pushing him unto the stairs, figured that wouldn't help the situation.   
"What? That's insane" Axel said, shocked, "Ven hasn't had a panic attack in a really long time. I'm talking years, dude."  
"Yea he tried to walk past him, I guess to deal with it himself, before he just crashed to the floor," Riku said. Riku watched as Axel whipped out his phone.  
"What are you doing?" Riku asked.  
"Texting Vanitas" Axel said as if it was obvious, "Maybe he knows something about it. He's closer to Ven than the rest of us."  
"I guess that makes sense," Riku said, feeling a bit stupid for asking such a dumb question.   
"So how are you and Sora? Roxas said he's been in a really good mood since this morning," Axel said as he text Vanitas.   
"Huh? Uh, we're doing fine. Good really," Riku said. Axel smiled.  
"That's a relief. At least you two are doing fine" Axel said in relief, "I have to say, Riku, I'm glad you showed up. I mean, I give you credit, you pursued Sora right off the bat."  
"Well, I don't really like to delay things," Riku laughed.   
"Yeah, but man, you went straight for the gun. But it's good that you did, or else Sora probably would've never agreed to go out with you. I'm happy you're with him. It's definitely helped him come out of his shell. Besides, he looks really happy when he's with you. Reminds me of Roxas and I. You're on the right track, so to speak," Axel said. Riku could feel the guilt building a wall in his throat.  
"He needed a do over in relationships anyway. The right way it should be done, and I'm glad it's in your hands. You're doing great," Axel smiled.   
Riku could only nod at the speech, as he didn't trust his voice to speak at the moment. Axel's words were like a knife to his entire being. Now that the knew exactly what Axel meant by those words, he couldn't help but feel like everything was now wrong. Axel was wrong. Sora was not in good hands. And it was that daunting thought that made Riku come to the sad conclusion, not that he had many options to choose from. His uncle was dangerous, and exposing him to the police would do nothing but put himself and everyone else, especially Sora, in danger should something go terribly wrong. There was only one option.   
He has to break up with Sora.   
\---  
The fog that existed around Vanitas and Ventus was really starting to take form. The two of them have no spoken properly to one another since the other day when Vanitas left him in the hallway to go check on Sora. The only good thing that came out of that was Ventus asking him if Sora was okay through text later that day. Vanitas appreciated that, especially after everything that's been going on.   
Vanitas wasn't even sure who should be apologizing this time; him for starting yet another argument or Ventus for clearly not keeping his word on repairing their friendship. Vanitas thinks back to that day when he and Ventus had had their first real argument. Vanitas hated thinking about that day. It was the day everything had began to come crumbling down. Vanitas had hit a chord when he came at him that day. But that couldn't be the sole cause of all this, could it? Vanitas knew Ventus wasn't telling him something though, and it was something apparently that his cousin knows about. He had failed in trying to ask Sora, who only told him that it was something that wasn't his to tell. But what was going on? Vanitas wasn't even sure how to talk to Ventus anymore at this point.   
His phone buzzing in his pocket distracted him from his thoughts. He looked at it to find a text message from Axel.   
_Axel: Hey, you know Ventus had a panic attack? Like yesterday? Riku witnessed it._  
Vanitas was more hurt than shocked by this. Ventus hadn't even bothered mentioning that to him, and he had only begrudgingly told him about the one in California because he had to. After the whole thing in the mall parking lot, Vanitas was more than a little worried and pissed now. What was up with all these panic attacks?   
Instead of responding to Axel, he decides to text Riku instead.   
_Vanitas: Ventus's panic attack. What happened?_  
 _Riku: I'm not really sure. Ventus just kind of fell to the floor in tears and he put my hands over his eyes. Ventus never actually told me what happened._  
The bell rang before Vanitas replied but he didn't need to anymore. He needed to talk to Ventus. He decided that neither he nor Ventus decided to attend lunch. They had more important matters at hand. When they exit the classroom, Vanitas grabbed Ventus's wrist, attempting to drag him the opposite way of the cafeteria.   
"What is it this time?" Ventus suddenly asked rather forcibly, and to even Vanitas's shock, he pulled his wrist out of his grasp roughly. He was tired of being dragged everywhere. But Vanitas had also grabbed the wrist he had cut last night, and it was still stinging a little.   
"So exactly when were you planning to tell me about your panic attack in the stairwell?" Vanitas asked. Ventus blinked. How the hell did Vanitas even know about that? The only explanation was that Riku had told him and Ventus got mad, remembering to add Riku to the list of people he should never share anything with. Sora was always number 1.   
"Ventus, I'm going to be honest. At this point, I don't know what to do anymore. I'm tired of guessing," Vanitas said in a huff. This entire ordeal was exhausting him.   
"I'm lost," Ventus said. He had made his decision about this entire ordeal a while ago, so what was Vanitas playing at now?  
"Ventus. Seriously" Vanitas said, his voice calm, "What do you want us to do? Because I've run out of ideas."   
Ventus's eyes widened. Did he really just hear that? Did Vanitas...did Vanitas actually give him the opportunity he thinks he did? Ventus bit his lip. Was he even willing to tread this water anymore? He had decided that nobody would ever listen, and even though he had yet to make peace with that, it was the right thing to do, but now here this was. He was given a chance. All he had to do, at last, was ask. He could just tell Vanitas that he wants him to listen. He wants them to talk. Ventus thinks back to what Sora said. He told Sora he had stopped trying. But this time was different. Vanitas wasn't asking because of Sora. He was asking because of his panic attacks. It wasn't exactly how he wanted it, but Ventus realizes that this is his only chance.   
"You okay?" Vanitas asked, noticing that Ventus had yet to answer. Ventus looked at him. This was the time where he would normally nod and say 'yeah, I'm fine' and this conversation would drop. He would end another day alone with his razor.   
Ventus shook his head.  
"I haven't been okay in a long time," Ventus finally admitted. It was so tiny that he almost missed, but he felt it. That tight coil of problems locked away in inside him. He felt a tap against it.   
"I know we're spending the weekend at Sora's, but how about we leave tomorrow morning and go to your house to talk? And I mean really talk," Vanitas offered. He was done with all of this. And honestly, so was Ventus.   
Ventus accepted his defeat and he nods. Tomorrow. He could do that.  
His demons will be put to rest at last.   
\---  
Cloud and Leon were busy cleaning the entire downstairs. The both of them had gotten caught up in work and also Sora passing out the other day that the two of them had both slacked off. The boys weren't coming until later but Vanitas was already there. His parents had left to go celebrate their second honeymoon in Italy and Vanitas was not fond of being home by himself. He lived next to this family of five, and every time he was alone, they would try to invite him over to eat dinner and spend the night. Vanitas was pretty sure they were part of a cult and he was having none of it. Sora was upstairs taking a nap since Cloud and Leon have been worried about his lack of sleep since he passed out and all the recent nightmares that caused him to pass out. His phone was sitting on the table, currently creating a problem for Vanitas.   
He had been deciding whether or not to go through his messages with Ventus. He knows that Ventus is finally going to tell him what's been going on and Vanitas is relieved to finally be in this position in their ordeal. But Vanitas also didn't want to be completely blind sighted. Surely Ventus would've said something Sora after he read that other text message.   
Vanitas couldn't take it anymore, and he snatched his cousin's phone off the coffee table. He began scrolling through their text messages from the beginning, but there was nothing there. It wasn't until he got to the ones after New Years Eve that the conversation caught his eye.   
_V: Why did you lie?_  
 _S: Huh? About what?_  
 _V: New Years Eve. I didn't apologize to you and you know it._  
 _S: I...I didn't want anyone to be mad at you anymore, okay? Tensions were really bad and I didn't like it. I would rather they think something good happened._  
 _V: Oh, please. You made everything worse. Vanitas now has this huge assumption that you and I are friends, which we aren't._  
 _S: I was trying to create a safe time for you._  
 _V: What?_  
 _S: If Vanitas doesn't think you did anything wrong, then maybe it would provide you the time you needed to possibly talk to him._  
 _V: Who said I was still trying to talk to him?!_  
 _S: You told me you'd keep trying._  
 _V: I never promised that! Keep out of my business! I don't need your help!_  
 _S: Does that mean you've given up?_  
The screen had gone black because Vanitas had been staring at the conversation so long without touching the screen. He was staring at it like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. What was all this? Ventus never apologized? And Sora knew about this...and lied to his face about it?!  
Vanitas didn't know what he was more upset about now. The fact that this time both his best friend and his cousin lied to him, or the fact that he congratulated Ventus with Ventus knowing he didn't deserve it at all!   
Riku comes in and as he closes the door, announcing himself, he sees Vanitas looking furious on the couch.   
"What's wrong with you?" Riku asked, setting his bag down near the coffee table.   
"Nothing, I always look like this," Vanitas said through his teeth. Riku had a feeling that Vanitas was in mood to talk so he leaves it at that. Feeling uncomfortable now, he excuses himself to the bathroom.   
"He looks so pissed," Riku said to himself as he walked up the stairs. Before he could make it to the bathroom though, he heard a sort of groan. Riku paused. He looked around to hear for it again. He does and he goes to the door it came from. He opens it slowly and realizes it's Sora's room. Sora is asleep on the bed, but Riku notices that he's moving slightly and he has his face scrunched up.  
"Uh oh," Riku said, realizing what's going on. He goes inside.   
\---  
Ten minutes later, the rest of the boys arrive, even Ventus as he couldn't get out of spending the night. He pauses upon entering when he notices Vanitas. Was it just him or did he see his best friend snare at him before he went back to his phone? Was he seeing things?   
"Are you boys really about to attempt to put these together without the directions?" Cloud asked as he placed the boxes on the table. These already looked hard. There was the Statue of Liberty, the Taj Mahal, Notre Dame, Golden Gate Bridge, City Hall in Philadelphia, A Chinese Palace, and The Spinx.   
"Directions are for chumps," Axel said proudly, "I think the picture on the front is enough."  
"I'm ready to start. Is Sora up yet?" Roxas asked, knowing that the brunette was probably asleep. Cloud looked at his watch.  
"Actually, he should be up by now" Cloud said, before looking around, "Wait, didn't Riku go to the bathroom like forever ago?"   
Cloud leaves the boys to their own devices as he goes upstairs towards Sora's room. When he gets to the door, he sees that Sora is awake and still lying in bed, but Riku is at his bedside. They haven't noticed him yet, so Cloud sits back and listens.   
"You have really amazing timing, you know that, right?" Sora asked.  
"Nah. I just heard some noises and assumed the worst," Riku revealed, "But I didn't have to work as hard this time to wake you up."  
"That's because I recognized your voice quicker than the first time" Sora replied, "I think you should just permanently stay at my bedside at night."  
"I'll have to charge you for that," Riku laughed. Sora laughs as welll.   
"You two planning to come downstairs at any time tonight?" Cloud asked loudly, finally making his presence known. Sora jumped and sat up in bed. Riku stood up, a tinge of red surround his nose.   
"Cloud, I can explain-"  
"I'd rather you didn't," Cloud said calmly.   
"Right...Um, I'll see you downstairs," Riku said to Sora before basically sprinting past Cloud and downstairs. He had completely forgotten he was supposed to be going to the bathroom. Sora got up as well.  
"What was that about?" Cloud asked.  
"I thought you didn't want to know?" Sora asked.  
"Yes, from him. Now what happened?" Cloud asked again.   
"I was having a nightmare," Sora said. Cloud raised an eyebrow.  
"Just now? Leon and I didn't hear you," Cloud said. That was weird. They always heard Sora when he started hollering and screaming. He barely needed the button Leon had installed to his bedside anymore.   
"Riku helped me wake up," Sora smiled. He left a puzzled Cloud at his door as he went downstairs to join his friends. Cloud was shocked yet impressed. What exactly did Riku do to wake Sora up without the hypnosis following?

_Okay, that's it for this chapter! I know I said something else was going to happen in this chapter, but it got really long and my fingers hurt! So this is it for now! But don't worry! I have the next five chapters drafted out so expect updates soon! In the next chapter, will Riku have the heart to make the ultimate decision and break up with Sora? And Ventus finally has the chance to get Vanitas to LISTEN...or does he? Find out in the next chapter! Stay tuned! Poof!_


	39. The Potential Break Up Song

_Disclaimer: I do not have nor own the rights to Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy characters. This fic is purely for fun._

  
"Vanitas, how in the hell are you that far?!" Roxas complained as he struggled to put together the statue of liberty. Upon hearing said complaint, everyone turned to look at Vanitas who, unlike everyone else, was already a little past 1/3 of hhe Taj Mahal.   
"Did you all forget that Vanitas studies architecture?" Ventus asked as he continued to work on his own project, the Notre Dame. Axel was working on The Golden Gate Bridge, Demyx had the Spinx, Riku had City Hall, and Sora had the China Palace.   
"You don't need architecture to know how to do this. If the pieces look the same, then they're either right next to each other or opposite each other. It's not rocket science," Vanitas said as he attached another correct piece onto the Taj Mahal.  
"I'm starting to think we gave you the easy one," Demyx laughed as he had yet to even complete the Spinx's head, which he thought was the easiest part to try first. Everyone laughed except for Ventus who had went back to working on his piece. He was mostly doing it to distract himself. He had thought the first one was a figment of his imagination, but after he caught it the third time, he was sure that Vanitas had meant to do it. He was highly confused. He hasn't done anything as far as he could remember recently that would've justified this attitude. His only assumption was that Vanitas somehow found out what he had said to Sora that morning, but even then he would've been yelled at him for it. So what the hell was his problem this time?  
Riku felt his phone going off in his pocket. He stopped working on City Hall to look at it and saw that it was his uncle Xemnas. He quickly snatched the phone and excused himself to the dining room. He answered the call.  
"Hey," Riku said.  
"Hey, nephew, where are you? I know you're not really home by any specific time but it's getting a little dark outside. You alright?" Xemnas asked through the phone. Riku could've scoffed. He was worried about his nephew being home by a certain hour and yet he was the one who was a damn rapist.   
"Uh, sorry, I forgot to mention that I was spending the night at a friend's house," Riku said, since it was actually the truth. Although seeing as Xemnas wasn't his dad, it's not like he actually had to tell him anything.   
"Is this friend the boyfriend?" Xemnas asked knwoingly. Riku faked laughed.  
"He's over here but it's not his house," Riku lied quietly. He was not giving his uncle any more vital information than he already had on Sora's location.   
"Well, regardless, you left your laptop charger here. I know you kids these days can't do anything without technology, so if you'd like I can swing by and drop it off-"  
"No!" Riku said forcibly before he could stop himself. There was an awkward silence on the other end of the line.  
"...Okay?" Xemnas said after a while.   
"Sorry about that" Riku said, "I didn't mean to burst like that, I have no idea where that came from...Uh, but one of my friend's parents works as a technician so I'm pretty sure he has some extra chargers someplace. It's okay, really."  
"Alright," Xemnas said, although he was still a little weirded out by his nephew's sudden loud burst.  
"Yeah, um thanks for calling though," Riku said, ready to hang up.  
"Oh, Riku, hold on," Xemnas said and Riku groaned internally. What does he want now?  
"Yeah?" Riku asked.  
"I know you probably haven't, but did you happen to see a dvd lying around the house anywhere? It's red and I thought I left it in the guest room but I must've misplaced it. Have you seen it?" Xemnas asked. Even over the phone, Riku could hear the underlying anger that his uncle had for not knowing where the disc was. Riku knew that his uncle was eventually going to notice that the dvd was gone. But Riku be damned if he give it back to him.   
"A red dvd? Not that I can recall. I mean you're free to check my dvd collection in the basement. Maybe it got stuck in there somehow?" Riku shrugged. Riku knew exactly where the dvd was. It was with him right now in his backpack. He refused to let that demonic thing out of his sight.   
"I'll check there. Thank you, Riku. Have fun," Xemnas said before he hung up. Riku sighed heavily as he hung up. The news of everything he had learned is still shaking him up. The phone call from his uncle was basically a wake up call to what he has to do. If his uncle had dropped off that charger, he would know Sora's address, and he couldn't risk that.   
"You okay?" Sora asked as Riku walked back into the living room and sat down.  
"Yeah. It was just my uncle," Riku said. He forced himself to continue working on the lego project, laughing and talking with Sora and the others. But he knew what he had to do. And he had to do it soon.   
\---  
By the time the boys decided to call it a night and do something else, only Vanitas was halfway done his project. Riku was pretty close behind him, but everyone else was way back in the race. Sora was rather apprehensive about spending the night downstairs this time, as this would actually be his first time staying downstairs instead of just sleeping in his room. The only reason why he was doing it was because he knew that if he started to have a nightmare, Riku would wake him up before anything got out of hand. Sora was quite okay with that situation. He didn't want Riku hearing anything in his nightmare shouting that would give away anything about who he really was.   
At the moment, Roxas, Axel and Demyx were down in the basement, all of them refusing to admit defeat over a game of monopoloy. Riku and Ventus were left in the living room to their own devices, and Vanitas and Sora were in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes that were left over from dinner.   
"So, why were you glaring at Ventus all night?" Sora asked out of the blue as he attempted to scrub out a pot.   
"Didn't go unnoticed, huh?" Vanitas said, although it didn't come out as a joke.   
"I'm sure even Ventus noticed," Sora said.  
"..I'm just mad with him right now. And as a matter of fact, I'm a little upset with you as well," Vanitas admitted.   
"Huh? Why?" Sora asked. That was new. Vanitas was almost never mad at him.  
"Because I feel like in terms of Ventus, you know something that I don't. And I don't that's right seeing as Ventus barely talks to you and meanwhile I'm over here pulling tooth and nail trying to get him to say anything." Vanitas explained. He really didn't find this fair at all. Especially after New Year's Eve, and now apparently Sora knows something about Ventus that Vanitas doesn't? And they're supposed to be best friends?  
"Well, what do you think is wrong?" Sora asked. Now that he knew Vanitas and Ventus hadn't actually talked anything out, he really wanted to know what how much his cousin actually knew. Ventus had said that Vanitas didn't know anything, but how much of anything was Ventus talking about?   
"....I-I don't know" Vanitas admits sadly, "I mean, I know that Ventus has issues with his parents, but everyone knows about that. That's all I really know...Truth be told, I don't want the problem of me rejecting him to still be an issue."  
"Why not?" Sora asked.   
"Because it happened so long ago!" Vanitas said, "And I would like to believe that my best friend is stronger than that."  
"That's true, but it's kind of hard to be strong when you're told all the time that you're not. I should know," Sora said as he finished drying the last dish. He goes to leave the kitchen but Vanitas beats him to the archway and stops him.  
"What?" Sora asked.  
"Hold on a minute," Vanitas said, peering into the living room.   
\---  
Riku is sitting in the living room, kicking himself over and over again about what he has to do. But how is he supposed to do this? He can't even come up with any good reason that won't get him buried six feet under by Vanitas, Cloud and Leon. The only logical reason is that he's protecting him, which he is but he can't tell explain to Sora why. If Sora knew the truth, he would hate him for life knowing that he was related to that monster. Riku can still hear Sora's agonizing screams in the video. Riku was completely defeated. How could his uncle do this?   
"What's wrong with you?" Ventus suddenly asked, surprising Riku.   
"Nothing" Riku said, shaking his head, "I just...got a lot on my mind."  
"That makes two of us," Ventus said, not looking up from his phone.  
"Since you're talking to me, I have to ask. How have you been lately? Since the whole stairwell thing?" Riku asked, not wanting to exactly say panic attack. He saw Ventus roll his eyes.   
"Why did you tell Vanitas about that?" Ventus asked.   
"I didn't" Riku said, "I told Axel. He must've told Vanitas."   
"Oh great. That means everybody knows about it," Ventus mumbled, irratated.   
"Hey, why do you do that?" Riku asked.  
"Do what?" Ventus asked.   
"You scratch your wristbands a lot," Riku said. Ventus looked down and blinked. He hadn't even realized he was doing it. But considering what they were talking about, it shouldn't have surprised him that he was doing it.  
"It's a coping mechanism," Ventus replied.   
"Like the hand eye thing?" Riku asked. Ventus sighed, frustrated.  
"Can we stop talking about this? I asked what's wrong with you," Ventus retorted.  
"No offense, but with the way you're reacting I don't think we should drop it," Riku said. He had a feeling something was up with Ventus since that day in the stairwell.   
"I'm fine," Ventus said, trying to compose himself, "Vanitas and I are talking tomorrow so can you drop the situation? Like now?"  
Riku held up his hands in surrender. He had a feeling that this was going to go very badly if he pushed any harder, and he didn't want to cause so much chaos at this late hour.   
"Sorry" Riku said sincerely.   
"At least somebody is," Ventus said sadly.   
Vanitas and Sora finally walked into the living room. Vanitas had only stopped Sora from going in because he had heard Riku and Ventus talking. He had somehow hoped that maybe Riku could pull something out of him, but it appears as though Riku only made it worse. Vanitas groaned. He really was going into this discussion tomorrow completely blind.   
\---  
It's 2am and Riku still can't find it in him to get any type of sleep. At first, he was just staying up to make sure that Sora didn't have a nightmare. Once he was sure that Sora was sleeping peacefully on the couch, he had tried his best to settle in, but the guilt of what he had to do kept him from clocking out. Instead, he was now sitting in the dining room, ready to just to just strangle his uncle for putting him in this situation.   
He liked Sora a lot. He had even found Sora's behavior to be extremely adorable, even if he considered it odd in the beginning. They had just gotten to a good spot in their relationship, and now everything was crashing down because of everything his uncle has done. But Riku knew that he would fight his own family before he would put Sora back within his uncle's grasp.   
"What's keeping you up?" a quiet voice asked from the second dining room archway. Riku looked up from the table to find Vanitas. He half laughed.   
"For once, that didn't sound like a threat," Riku said.   
"I'm not always in the mood to be an asshole," Vanitas said as he sat opposite Riku. There's a moment of silence.  
"Thanks for telling me about Ven's panic attack by the way. I mean, Axel technically told me but you know," Vanitas said.   
"Um, no problem" Riku said, "But how come Ventus didn't just tell you himself?"  
Vanitas sighs. "Ventus and I aren't exactly on good terms right now."  
"I've noticed," Riku replied.   
"Please, it was before you got here," Vanitas clarified.   
"Axel and Demyx told me about what happened with the whole Ventus confessing to you and whatnot," Riku said. He had no idea why he was bringing this up but he felt like this was the only time he was actually going to be able to talk to Vanitas in a non hostile atmosphere. Because after what he does tomorrow, Vanitas will be hunting him down to take his head.   
Vanitas rolled his eyes. "Everyone keeps making it sound like I did it in such a cruel way and nobody was even there to witness it. I said I didn't share the same feeling but we could still be friends if that's what he wanted. I gave him an option to back out and he decided to stay so it's his own fault if he's still upset."  
"Well if that's how it really went down then I don't think that's linked to the panic attacks. I mean, it doesn't sound like a strong defense for something like that," Riku noted, "He looked absolutely terrified. Like someone said they were going to murder him or something."   
"I wish he would just open his damn mouth for once," Vanitas huffed.   
"Well, you don't exactly make that easy," Riku said before he could stop himself. Vanitas glared at him and Riku had a feeling he just destroyed said non hostile atmosphere.   
"Don't pin this on me, I'm not the only person here who Ventus can talk to," Vanitas retorted.  
"That may be true, but maybe it has something to do with you and that's why Ventus wants to talk to you specifically," Riku pointed out. Vanitas suddenly remembered the damn sentence that's been bothering him since he heard it.   
_It's partially your fault that-!_  
Vanitas goes quiet, and Riku wasn't sure whether to consider that a good thing or a bad thing. When Vanitas finally does make eye contact with him again, Riku has a feeling he's already changed the subject.  
"Ventus aside, and don't pride yourself in this but...thank you for being nice to Sora," Vanitas forced himself to say.   
"You're thanking me? I thought you hated me," Riku smirked.   
"I do. I despise you. But Sora is really happy when he's around you, and I won't sacrifice my cousin's happiness over my own attitude," Vanitas said.   
Riku felt like he had been kicked to the stomach. It was bad enough that Axel had given credit, but now he was recieving praise from the cousin from hell!? He was truly going to be buried six feet under.   
"You know, you're being really nice right now," Riku said, slightly changing the subject.  
"Don't press your luck...I'm just tired," Vanitas said glumly. Riku felt like there was a double meaning to the last part of that sentence but he decided not to probe, hence he make the nromal Vanitas come out.   
"Well, I'm going to attempt to go to bed now. Thanks for the thanks," Riku said.  
"Don't expect it a second time," Vanitas rolled his eyes as Riku left the room, leaving him to his own thoughts. Vanitas sighed heavily, knowing that there was no way he was getting any type of sleep. He prayed that whatever it is that Ventus has to tell him tomorrow won't make him feel any more guilty.   
\---  
Riku skipped on breakfast the next morning. He couldn't stomach eating any food at the moment, knowing what he had to do. He feels like he has to throw up, and he feared he may do just that if he tries to eat anything. His chest hurts as his heart is tightening at the reality of what's about to happen.   
"Where are you two going?" Axel as he noticed Ventus and Vanitas putting on their shoes. Ventus was grabbing his bag as well. He never liked leaving it anywhere.  
"None of your business" Vanitas said to Axel before rustling Sora's hair, "We'll be right back."  
"Okay," Sora nodded.   
\---  
To say Ventus was nervous was an understatement. He hadn't even noticed he began scratching his wrists until Vanitas finally grabbed his hand in the car telling him to stop because he was making him jitty. Ventus was trying his best to calm down. After deciding that Vanitas would never find out anything, Ventus had tried to go through the process of dealing with that. And everything was going well, somewhat, until now Vanitas actually wants to talk. Like really talk. He convinces himself to breathe. All he has to do is talk about the rape and his cutting. That's it. That's all he needs to talk about. But how the hell is he even supposed to bring either one of these up? He really didn't want Vanitas to ask any questions because those in themselves were dangerous as is. Ventus thinks maybe he should start with his parents. It's something Vanitas is already aware of, but Ventus doesn't believe how much their absence has affected his lifestyle. The only thing he could avoid talking about is New Years Eve, as it wasn't important and didn't involve Vanitas in any way.   
\---  
"I think I'm going to head out," Riku said as he went to collect his car keys.   
"Huh? Why? I thought you were staying the entire weekend," Sora pouted.   
"I...I can't. Actually, Sora, would you mind coming with me for a bit?" Riku asked. Sora didn't understand why Riku sounded so defeated, but he nodded and put his shoes on as he followed Riku outside. They get inside Riku's car, but Riku doesn't start the engine. Sora is completely confused right now. He doesn't understand why Riku looks so upset. What's wrong?  
Riku is staring at the steering wheel, trying to figure out how to go about this without causing the most chaos. But he knows that there's no easy way to do this that won't make him look like a complete jerk. Riku takes a deep breath, cursing his uncle for being put into this situation.   
"Riku, what's going on?" Sora asked, not liking the silence.   
"Sora, before I say what I need to say, I just want you to know and believe that it's not your fault in any way," Riku said slowly. Sora quirked an eyebrow, even more confused. Normally everything was his fault, so what was Riku talking about?   
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked.   
"Sora, we need to break up," Riku pushed out in one breath. He couldn't even look at Sora when he said it. He was being such a coward.   
Sora wasn't actually sure he heard Riku say it. Did he say what he thought he said? Or did he misunderstand somehow?  
"W-what did you say?" Sora asked, a little afraid that he heard correctly the first time. Riku wanted to kick himself. He wanted him to repeat it?!  
"We need to break up," Riku said with complete clarity.   
The silence that filled the car was so uncomfortable that Riku felt like he could actually see it.   
Then out of nowhere, Sora suddenly reached across the cup holders and kissed Riku hard on the mouth. Riku is completely confused. What the hell was Sora doing? He says they need to break up and Sora kisses him?! Does he not know that that's not what you're supposed to do? Riku pushed Sora back, trying to regain his composure through his confusion.   
"Sora, what are you doing?" Riku asked, completely lost.   
"Riku, have sex with me," Sora said without missing a beat.  
"What?!" Riku exclaimed. Where the hell did this come from?! And why in the world did Sora pick this time to bring this up?  
"Sora, what? No," Riku said, trying to push Sora back but he won't budge.  
"No really. I'm fine with it," Sora said.   
"Sora, you and I both know that's a lie. We're not having sex," Riku stated, "Why are you suddenly doing this? I don't understand."  
"Isn't that the reason that you're breaking up with me?" Sora asked, "I didn't say anything, but I suspected that you were upset because we haven't had sex by this point as whatever period normal couples wait until. I'm trying to rectify the situation."  
"That's absurd, Sora. I never thought that way. It didn't bother me," Riku explained. He really didn't understand why Sora would ever think that way? He's already told Sora he was fine about all that. The kid took forver to let him display PDA, so why would Sora even assume he was trying to push for sex?!  
"Sora, this has nothing to do with that," Riku said.  
"Then why are you breaking up with me!?" Sora asked, his voice choking. Riku caught eye contact with the brunette and could see that his gorgeous blue eyes were moist with tears ready to spill out. Almost immediately, he sees the images of Sora's tear filled face in agony from the video. Riku looks away, not wanting to see him cry.   
"I..I can't tell you why," Riku said quietly, but Sora heard it anyway. Sora leaned away from him.   
"You can't do this!" Sora said, "Riku, you can't do this! You're the first person that I've ever felt safe enough around to have a relationship with. You don't even realize how long it took me to even be okay with people touching me at all! I really like you, Riku! Why are you breaking up with me?! What did I do?"  
"You didn't do anything, Sora" Riku said, "Absolutely nothing. Listen, I'm trying to protect you and that's the only thing I can tell you."  
"Protect me from what?" Sora asked.   
"I can't tell you that," Riku said sadly. He sees the first two tears fall down the brunette's face. His eyes widen.  
"Oh no, Sora, please don't cry," Riku begged. Sora roughly pushed himself away from Riku fully.   
"Don't tell me what to do! What do you expect me to do?!" Sora said, raising his voice slightly. He couldn't believe this was happening.   
"Sora-"  
"Riku, I trusted you" Sora cried, cutting him off, "I have agreed to so many things that I would never do with someone else that I did with you, and that was from as simple as going on a date with you!"  
"Sora, I'm sorry. I really am. If I didn't have to do this, I wouldn't. I like you a lot," Riku tried to reason with him.  
"You're lying," Sora clipped.  
"No, I'm not. I swear, I'm only doing this to protect you. You have to belive me," Riku tried to explain, reaching out to Sora. Sora shrugged roughly away from him.  
"Don't touch me!" Sora shouted, surprising even Riku.   
"Don't touch me ever again!" Sora cried. Before Riku could stop him, he wrenched open the car door and slammed it shut as he walked out. Riku drove away before anything else could happen.   
Sora shocked everyone by coming through the door rather forcibly. He ran up the stairs and into his room, ignoring the calls for him by Leon and Cloud.   
\---  
"Before we do this, can I ask a question?" Ventus asked as he and Vanitas walked into Ventus's house. It wasn't anything big but he was just curious.  
"What?" Vanitas asked.   
"Why were you glaring at me all yesterday?" Ventus asked.   
"How about you don't ask me any questions until we get this over with?" Vanitas asked. Ventus's shoulders sighed in defeat.   
"Fine," Ventus decided through tight lips. The two of them go over to sit on the wrap around couch on far corners. Vanitas isn't really sure what to expect at this point. After trying and failing multiple times to find out anything beforehand, he didn't like how blind he was about to be in this entire situation. He was silently praying that it wasn't what he keeps thinking it is. If it is, then Vanitas was going to have a true problem with his best friend, and that was an argument he was not willing to have.   
"So, what did you mean when you said that you haven't been okay in a long time? Exactly how long are we talking about?" Vanitas asked.   
"Longer than you probably think," Ventus admitted, "Can I ask a favor before I start talking?"  
"What now?" Vanitas asked.  
"Can you...promise not to yell at me?" Ventus asked. Out of all the things he was afraid Vanitas would do, he really didn't want Vanitas to yell. He already felt like the shell he had protected was wide open, and he won't be able to handle this situation properly if Vanitas decides to start raising his voice. Any other day, he would be able to take it, but this was different.   
"What the hell do you have to tell me that would me yell at you?" Vanitas asked, a little alarmed now.   
"Can you just promise not to?" Ventus asked. Vanitas sighs.  
"Fine. I promise not to yell," Vanitas said, finding that a bit dumb. As many arguments as they've gotten into, now Ventus decides he can't handle the yelling? He yells right back all the time.   
"Good...you can get mad because honestly there's no way I can stop that, but don't yell. Else I won't be able to do this," Ventus said.   
"Is that why?" Vanitas asked.  
"Is what why?" Ventus asked back.  
"Is that why you wouldn't say anything to me? Because I yell at you?" Vanitas asked. Ventus swallows.  
"Well...that's part of the reason but it doesn't play that big of a role," Ventus said, already feeling uncomfortable. This is not where this conversation was supposed to be going. Vanitas sucked his teeth.  
"You can't shut down just because I yell at you. How long have we been friends? And you yell back at me anyway," Vanitas commented. Ventus put his hand up to silence the raven haired boy.  
"Can we not get into this right now? That's not what we're here for," Ventus said, trying to get back on track.   
"Agreed," Vanitas nodded, deciding Ventus was right. They had important matters to attend to. Vanitas couldn't ruin this.   
"This is why I made you promise not to yell to begin with," Ventus said, trying to force it to be a joke but it didn't come out as such. Vanitas's phone on the coffee table suddenly goes off, and the two of them look at it to see who it is. Ventus's breath stops.  
It's Sora.   
He watches as Vanitas gets up from the couch and grabs his phone.   
"Don't ask me not to answer this," Vanitas said as Ventus opened his mouth, ready to do just that. Ventus sat back, already exhausted from this. But Sora just probably wanted to know where they were. At least it would over and done with and they could continue. Ventus was ready to combust. He looks at Vanitas as he answers the phone, and he also watches in confusion as Vanitas's face screws up into concern.   
"What's wrong?" Vanitas asked into the phone, "Why does it sound like you've been crying?"  
There's a moment of silence on Ventus's end.  
"WHAT?!" Vanitas suddenly shouted, making Ventus jump a little at the outburst. So much for no yelling.   
"Are you serious?! ...Alright, alright. Sora? Sora, calm down, I'm on my way, okay? Okay, bye," Vanitas said, hanging up the phone and tucking it into his pocket. Ventus's eyes widened in realization of what was happening. As Vanitas tries to go towards the door, he is stopped by Ventus.   
"Vanitas, no. You can't go yet," Ventus said, the frantic in his voice very clear. He couldn't leave now. Not when Ventus finally opened up his shell. Vanitas couldn't leave!  
"Ven, Sora needs me right now. Riku just fucked up big time," Vanitas growled.   
"Vanitas, you can't! You promised that we would talk! You said you would listen!" Ventus begged.   
"We can talk later," Vanitas said.  
"No, we can't! I won't have the courage to say this again!" Ventus exclaimed, his panic setting in.   
"You didn't say anything yet, so what are you talking about? It can wait," Vanitas said, walking towards the door.  
"Vanitas! For once in your life, will you please pick me over Sora!?" Ventus said, raising his voice, "I know Sora is important to you. I know that better than anyone else! But just this once, can you please choose me?"  
"Do you know what happened just now?" Vanitas asked.   
"No," Ventus said, as if that was obvious.  
"Riku just broke up with Sora, and now my cousin is in tears and I need to be there for him," Vanitas said.  
"I'm in tears all the time!" Ventus confessed before he could stop himself. He grabbed the back of Vanitas's shirt, stopping him from opening the door as Vanitas hadn't realized he had gotten that close. "Vanitas, I need you to stay! Please! I need you to listen!"   
Vanitas pauses for a moment, his hand letting go of the doorknob.

_It's partially your fault that-!_

  
"Are you going to tell me everything?" Vanitas asked.  
"Yes," Ventus says quietly, not knowing why Vanitas was asking him this. That was the whole point of this to begin with!   
He feels Vanitas take a deep breath through his hand on his shirt.  
"What did you say to Sora on New Years Eve?" Vanitas asked.   
"W-What did you say?" Ventus asked, this time he was the one who was blindsighted.   
"What did you say to Sora on New Years Eve?" Vanitas asked again, calm yet stern. Ventus opened and closed his mouth multiple times. His worst nightmare was approaching him. He couldn't do this!  
"...I...I can't tell you," Ventus said, his voice shaking.   
"You said you wanted me to listen. I'm listening," Vanitas said. Something in the back of Vanitas's mind was trying to tell him how barbaric this was appearing to be, but he pushed it back rather roughly.   
"This isn't fair, Vanitas!" Ventus choked.  
"How come?"  
"Because I know for a fact that my answer is hindering on whether you stay or not," Ventus said, a tear breaking free from his eyes. Vanitas could hear the change in Ventus's voice, but he had to keep going. He himself didn't like where this conversation was going, but if what he thinks happened happened, then he had his choice.   
"I'm not going to ask again," Vanitas said, "What did you say to Sora?"  
Ventus hesitates greatly, biting his lip. He was afraid this would happen. His worst fear was coming true. If he told Vanitas the truth, he would lose him. But if he lied and Vanitas found out later, he would lose him. He was stuck. He couldn't believe this was happening! He had finally found the courage to throw everything to the wind and tell Vanitas everything and now he was faced with a lose lose ultimatum.  
"I'm still waiting for an answer," Vanitas said, interrupting his thoughts.   
"Vanitas, don't do this," Ventus pleaded with him. He was barely hanging on by a thread, and Vanitas was holding the damn scissors.   
"If you don't answer me, then I really am going to leave," Vanitas said sharply. His cousin was in his bedroom crying and Vanitas had to comfort him. He couldn't deal with Ventus right now.   
Ventus swallowed hard, realizing that he has no other choice. Did he really ever have one to begin with?   
"I told Sora I hated him," Ventus said, and he let go of Vanitas knowingly. Vanitas only stood still for a half a minute before he pulled open the door and slammed it shut. Ventus stood there, the tears cascading down his face and slightly blurring his vision.   
He didn't even need Vanitas to say it. Their friendship was over. He couldn't even blame Sora this time. He was the one who said it. It was his fault.   
It was all his fault.

 _And that's the end of this chapter! How about it? Two break ups in one chapter! Poor Sora! Poor Ventus! I know a lot of you guessed Vanitas wasn't going to listen, but did you guess how it was going to turn out? In the next chapter, it's all about the aftermath of it all! Vanitas goes to comfort his cousin, while everyone tries to figure out why Riku left Sora! How will Sora cope with Riku leaving him? Is Riku's decision going to help save him from his uncle? And Ventus....stay tuned! Poof!_


End file.
